AT&T Boosts Wi-Fi and Mobile Network Coverage at the University of California, Berkeley

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Students and faculty at the University of California, Berkeley now have access to improved AT&T Wi-Fi and mobile coverage across campus, including student residence halls, academic and administrative buildings.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120612/DA23287LOGO)

The new Wi-Fi service allows on-campus wireless users to:

• Surf the web on smartphones and tablets, even in the hallway waiting for class to start
• Enjoy enhanced coverage on the campus-wide Air-Bears Wi-Fi system
• Easily connect smartphones and tablets without using their monthly data plans

"The University of California, Berkeley is a leader when it comes to integrating mobile technology to enhance the student experience," said Chris Roy, AT&T Vice President - Government and Education. "AT&T is excited to enhance the mobile experience for students, faculty and alumni when they are on the UC Berkeley campus."

The expanded Wi-Fi service will benefit the entire UC Berkeley community including visitors.

"Learning doesn't happen in one place, it happens everywhere," said Michael Green, UC Berkeley's Director of Telecommunications. "As a result of the expanded coverage, students will now have information at their fingertips across campus, enabling them to share ideas and resources with one another immediately."

To provide additional mobile capacity on campus, AT&T has installed a new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) as part of its three-year Velocity IP initiative. DAS uses antennas that are tuned to precisely match the area of a building where boosted service is needed. This technology improves call reliability, increases data traffic capacity and enables more consistent network access on campus. The DAS system will give students and faculty mobile connections when using their smartphones and tablets at Griffiths Hall and Etcheverry Hall.

"We have a long history of supporting higher education as well as providing services and products to help colleges and universities improve productivity both in and out of the classroom. Projects range from support of STEM scholarship programs and science/math focused summer camps for at-risk youth to hands-on technology labs and elite robotics competitions at the nation's leading universities - with nearly $87 million given to support STEM initiatives since 1995," said Terry Stenzel, AT&T Vice-President and General Manager of Northern California and Northern Nevada.

AT&T has also enhanced the customer experience at Memorial Stadium by deploying COWs (Cellular on Wheels). These mobile cell sites include a cellular tower and electronic radio receivers to help boost network capacity and performance. Football fans will enjoy better wireless coverage throughout the stadium on game days.

"Students no longer have to run to the rooftop to make a call," said Skyler Rojas, UC Berkeley's Co-Chair of the Student Technology Council. "Thanks to the network investment in our campus, we are now able to connect no matter what we are doing – whether that is cheering on the Cal Bears at Memorial Stadium or studying for finals at Griffiths Hall."

AT&T's Outstanding Network

AT&T has the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network according to independent thirdparty data.¹ And AT&T's network performance continues to be validated by independent thirdparty testing:

• Our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive's most recent 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T's as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.²
• And AT&T was named America's fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine's 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.³

In addition, RootMetrics® has awarded AT&T for strongest overall call, text, and data performance in multiple markets in the most recent 2013 testing.⁴

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

¹ Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers' average 4G LTE download speeds for Android™ and Windows smartphones and iPhone 5. Reliability claim compares data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.
² PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, "AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo"
³ PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp
⁴ Based on the most recent RootScore® Report for each of the 125 U.S. markets tested in 2013.

Performance rankings of 4 national mobile networks rely on scores calculated from random samples. Visit rootmetrics.com for more details. Your experience may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of AT&T.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.