Operator reveals that it has deployed more than 350 small cells, distributed antennas, and repeats at Disney resorts and hotels.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

February 18, 2014

2 Min Read
AT&T Deploys Small Cells & More at Disney

We now know where AT&T has deployed a few more of the 40,000-plus small cells it plans to roll out by the end of 2015, and it turns out that they might have mouse ears.

The operator revealed Tuesday that it has deployed more than 350 small cells, 25 distributed antenna systems (DAS), and 40 repeaters at the two big Disney theme parks in California and Florida, and at Disney hotels in Hawaii, California, Florida, and Hilton Head, SC. The operator says that it has used both 3G and LTE technology for the Disney roll-out.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)'s senior executive vice president of technology and network operations, John Donovan, writes in a blog that the deployments, which took place in 2013, have boosted voice and data usage on the networks at the resorts:

  • While these solutions are designed to go unnoticed, blending seamlessly into the aesthetics of the Disney Parks and Resorts, their impact has been easy to see. Small cells have provided coverage boosts in areas with geographic cellular challenges and are mostly located in offices, administrative areas and tunnels used by cast members. In both Orlando and Anaheim, our engineers have found the areas with small cells have experienced a more than 10x increase in mobile voice and data traffic on our network. And at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, our monitoring has shown the DAS technology has consistently received high marks for network voice and data reliability.

Here's a video from the operator about the Disney deployment:

This is the first time that AT&T has deployed outdoor Distributed Antenna Systems (oDAS) and indoor DAS (iDAS), repeaters, and small cells on a large scale at one location, Donovan writes. The operator has previously said that it has small cells deployed in 18 US states.

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— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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