AT&T Invests $250 Million In Missouri Wireless And Wireline Networks In First Half Of 2013

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Blazing speeds.  Great reliability.  Broad coverage.  Excellent overall performance.  That's what Missouri residents want from their mobile Internet, and it's exactly what AT&T* is delivering with an array of network upgrades completed in the first half of 2013.

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In the first half of 2013, AT&T invested nearly $250 million in its wireless and wired networks in Missouri.  The investments included deployment of new macro cell sites, small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems across the state as a part of AT&T's Project Velocity IP, a three-year investment plan announced last fall to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks.  The company also expanded and enhanced its 4G LTE network, which provides ultra-fast mobile Internet speeds, and deployed new Wi-Fi hot spots. 

Project Velocity IP is also spurring the deployment of advanced fiber-optic connections to thousands of Missouri businesses.  In just the first six months of 2013, nearly 3,650 additional business customer locations in Missouri – located in nearly 150 multi-tenant office buildings across the state – now have access to blazing-fast, reliable connections to Internet and cloud-based resources, which ride on the fiber network.

As part of Project VIP, AT&T also deployed advanced wired IP broadband connections for consumers, including AT&T U-verse® services for more than 27,300 customer locations in Missouri, in just the first six months of 2013. AT&T U-verse is an integrated bundle of services delivered over AT&T's advanced IP network that include AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet, AT&T U-verse TV and AT&T U-verse Voice. AT&T offers customers the freedom to watch hit TV shows virtually anywhere, extensive HD channels, competitive Internet speeds, flexible bundles and continued service innovation. AT&T was recently named Frost & Sullivan Video Company of the Year.

These investments help to ensure that Missouri residents continue to receive the best possible experience over the AT&T network, whether at home, at work or on the go.  The great performance of AT&T's 4G LTE network, now the nation's fastest and most reliable, continues to be validated:

• AT&T now has the most reliable 4G LTE network.  According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.**
• Meanwhile, 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.***
• And AT&T was named America's fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine's 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – sweeping the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****

"All of the investment in our network is made with the goal of keeping our customers connected to the people and things that they love the most," said AT&T Missouri President John Sondag. "And AT&T will keep investing because we are committed to providing the best experience at the fastest speeds on the most reliable network to all of our Missouri customers. From the $250 million invested this year to our multi-billion Project Velocity IP investment initiative, we're working to ensure that Missouri consumers and businesses remain at the leading edge of broadband services."

In addition, RootMetrics® has awarded AT&T 1st or tied for 1st for strongest overall call, text, and data performance in 66 of 125 national markets – including 1 of 2 markets in Missouri, where AT&T was 1^st in St. Louis – from January through June this year.*****

AT&T 4G LTE is now available in multiple areas of the state, including Boonville, Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Farmington, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Kirksville, Nevada, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Louis and Warrensburg. Nationwide, more than 225 million Americans have access to AT&T 4G LTE service.  By year-end 2013, AT&T expects to cover nearly 270 million people and 400 markets with its 4G LTE network.

For more information about AT&T's coverage in Missouri or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer.  For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services. Call or go to www.att.com/u-verse to see if you qualify.

*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.
** Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers' average 4G LTE download speeds for Android^TM 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. 4G speeds not available everywhere.
*** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, "AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo"
**** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp
***** Performance rankings based on 125 RootMetrics® RootScore® Reports, January – June 2013, of 4 national mobile networks that rely on scores calculated from random samples.  Your experience may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of AT&T.  Visit www.rootmetrics.com for more details.

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 largest 4G 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 services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

^© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

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