26 Aug Cingular Wireless to invest $300 million in Illinois and Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Cingular Wireless will invest more than $300 million this year on network improvements in Illinois and Wisconsin — including turning on-air 110 new cell sites, the company announced on Friday.
Nationwide, the company will spend $6.2 billion to enhance and expand its Allover network nationwide over the next year.
Earlier year, Cingular put into service 22 cell sites improving coverage in Winnebago, Bond, Sangamon, Lake, LaSalle and Cook counties in Illinois and in Columbia, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Walworth and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin.
As part of its 2005 investment, Cingular will deploy high-speed third generation (3G) UMTS/HSDPA(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/High Speed Downlink Packet Access) service to customers in 15-20 major markets this year. The company expects to offer its 3G services in most major markets by the end of 2006.
The 3G service will offer average data speeds between 400-700 kbps and bursts to several megabits per second. Customers using the 3G service will be able use a wireless handset to make a voice call and simultaneously check e- mail, browse the Internet at speeds similar to broadband wired services, or even access a variety of video services, the company said.