SAN ANTONIO -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) todayannounced a total planned investment of nearly $1.25 billion in the Texasnetwork in 2007. This will bring AT&T's two-year investment in Texas tonearly $3 billion and further demonstrates AT&T's commitment to providingTexans with more choices and quality communications services.
The investment will support a wide variety of wireless, voice, data,video and broadband infrastructure and services, including:
Wireless network enhancements, such as new cell sites and enhanced coverage and services.
The expansion of AT&T's new AT&T U-verse(SM) TV and Internet services.
The maintenance, upgrade and installation of fiber-optic lines, central offices and other network facilities to provide wired services.
Wireless
On the wireless front, AT&T announced the addition of 115 new andacquired cell sites in Texas this year. Additional network enhancements in2007 include:
Enhanced wireless network coverage to customers living and working in Austin, Boerne, Cedar Park, Cleveland, Corpus Christi, El Paso-Las Cruces, Houston, Kerrville, Taylor Lake Village, Marble Falls, McAllen, Missouri City, Paris, Refugio, San Angelo, San Antonio and The Woodlands.
New cell sites to improve coverage along Interstate Highways (I-10, I-35 and I-45), U.S. Highways (59, 77, 87, 90, 183, 281 and 290), and state Highways (5, 6, 71 and 150).
AT&T has also delivered dramatic change in Texas through theintroduction and deployment of third-generation (3G) wireless broadbandservice, which offers customers access to DSL-type speeds for theirlaptops, with the ability to access the Internet and work with e-mail fromanywhere within the 3G network. Customers with 3G handsets have access tothe latest entertainment, news and weather programming through CellularVideo and AT&T Music(1).
Last year, AT&T launched 3G service in Arlington, Austin, Beaumont,Carrollton, Dallas-Fort Worth, Garland, Grand Prairie, Houston, Irving,Mesquite, Pasadena, Plano, Richardson and San Antonio. Already this year,AT&T has deployed 3G service in Corpus Christi and McAllen. Later thisyear, 3G service will be expanded to include Brenham, Bryan-CollegeStation, Fort Hood, Longview, Marshall, Tyler and Victoria.
Video
AT&T U-verse TV is the company's 100 percent Internet Protocol-basedtelevision (IPTV) service and one of the most advanced television offeringsavailable anywhere. Since last year, AT&T has rolled out AT&T U-verseservices in parts of the San Antonio, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas.AT&T continues to expand the service in both new and existing areas.
Broadband
AT&T last year completed its project to provide DSL capability to allof its central offices in the state and to offer broadband to many morerural customers. The company also announced the expansion of its satelliteInternet service for rural customers beyond the reach of its centraloffices.
"It is great to see a company live up to its promise to invest inTexas," said Phil Wilson, Texas secretary of state. "Our state leadershipstrives to create policies that encourage companies to invest here. Whencompanies invest, everyone wins. Texas is primed for business and open forinvestment."
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)