AT&T plans

AT&T Mobility, the second largest mobile operator by subscribers in the US, has outlined plans to upgrade its 3G network with High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology by 2011. The upgrade will boost mobile data transmission speeds from the current 3Mbps to up to 7.2Mbps. Deployment of the 3.5G technology is scheduled to start later this year. AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is currently available in nearly 350 US major metropolitan areas, with about 20 additional locations planned for deployment in 2009. Investment for these projects is covered by the cellco’s previously announced capital spending budget for 2009 of $17 billion to $18 billion. The company has also announced plans to commence testing of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in 2010, with a view to rolling out the technology in 2011.