AT&T Mobility Gears Up Wireless Network for Super Bowl XLIII

While football fans gear up for the ultimate football experience at Super Bowl XLIII, AT&T Mobility is gearing up to provide the ultimate wireless experience. The company announced today it is expanding capacity and coverage in and around Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in anticipation of increased traffic on its wireless network. The company is focusing on four key areas: the stadium/Tampa International Airport, downtown hotels and the convention center area, the hotels where the teams will be staying and the University of South Florida Sun Dome and team practice fields.

At the stadium, AT&T Mobility is increasing 2G (GSM/Global System for Mobile Communications) voice and data capacity by 400 percent and high-speed 3G (UMTS/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) voice and data capacity by nearly 335 percent. In addition to the two existing cell sites AT&T Mobility has inside the stadium, the company is setting up two mobile cell on wheels, or “COWs”, at the southeast and northeast corners of the stadium parking lot. Additional capacity on cell sites in the areas of the airport, downtown, the team hotels and USF will handle increased traffic in those parts of Tampa.

“We realize fans in Raymond James Stadium want to be able to connect with their friends and family during the Super Bowl, whether it’s by voice, e-mail, a text message or live video sharing,” said Marshall Criser, president, AT&T Florida. “Our network team has been working feverishly to ensure our customers have the best wireless experience possible under the circumstances.”

AT&T Mobility’s network personnel will be on site for game day to monitor the network. Traffic on the stadium cell sites will be balanced as needed during the game in order to maximize the ability for customers to make calls and use data services, such as texting, multimedia messaging and sharing live video of the big game with friends and relatives back home.

“Delivering the best customer experience starts with the network,” said Rudy Hermond, vice president and general manager, West, Central and North Florida, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Services. “Our mission is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live, work and vacation, and to do it better than anyone else.”

AT&T Mobility’s wireless network is built on the GSM standard — the most open and widely used technology in the world. The company’s devices work in more than 200 countries and regions.

AT&T Mobility’s third-generation (3G) wireless broadband network is the nation’s fastest 3G network, making it possible for customers to view videos, play games, download music, surf the Internet, check e-mail and access large files and business applications while on the go. The company’s 3G network is now available in nearly 350 U.S. major metropolitan areas, including Tampa.