AT&T Expanding Wireless Coverage in Rochester

This will bring AT&T's three-year investment in the territory, which spans from Buffalo to Albany, to more than $230 million. The investment is part of AT&T's overall network strategy to continually expand and enhance its wireless network and service reliability.

The company's plans include building 18 new cell sites and adding approximately 500 new radios to nearly 350 cell sites throughout upstate New York. Plans also include 150 new hardware cabinets and power amplifiers to increase capacity to accommodate increased usage by AT&T's growing customer base.

Three new cell sites are planned for the Rochester area this year, two of which will be built in Webster. One will enhance wireless coverage for AT&T customers on Lake, Whiting and Holt roads, Webster Park, Herman and Klem roads. The other will increase wireless coverage on Ridge Road, Empire Boulevard, Gravel, Hatch and Plank roads, Bay Town Plaza and Five Mile Line Road.

The third site will be in Macedon. It will provide an enhanced wireless experience for the village of Macedon and customers traveling along Route 31, Macedon Center Road, Route 350, Route 312 and Canandaigua Road.

Later this year, AT&T will also introduce its blazing-fast third-generation (3G) network in Rochester. This high speed data network will give customers access to broadband-type speeds. AT&T customers will be able to quickly access feature-rich wireless content on their 3G handsets, including videos, pictures and the latest music, entertainment, news and weather programming, through MEdia Net, the company's mobile Internet portal. Customers on the network also can view razor-sharp clips through CV, an on-demand streaming video service that offers a comprehensive library of mobile video content from some of the top media brands.

"It is our goal to give AT&T customers the very best wireless experience possible here in Rochester or wherever else in the country they may travel," said Robert Holliday, AT&T's vice president and general manager for wireless operations in upstate New York. "That means providing great coverage, reliability and high-quality service. Our ongoing investment in the upstate New York network gives customers the benefits of a state-of-the-art voice and data network along with cutting-edge wireless devices."

AT&T has delivered dramatic change in upstate New York — a direct result of the company's continuing efforts to expand and enhance its network operations and the synergies that come from being part of the world's largest communications company.

Last year, AT&T announced the addition of eight new cell sites in the Rochester area that provide enhanced cellular coverage for Monroe, Ontario and Orleans counties. And, in 2005, the company invested more than $122 million to build and integrate more than 275 cell sites in the upstate region.

AT&T diligently monitors the quality and coverage of its network. In addition to third-party vendors that assess the company's network performance, AT&T wireless network engineers constantly monitor the network and drive tens of thousands of miles throughout upstate New York each year to ensure that the network is operating at peak efficiency. -AT&T