BLS Bellsouth Cp

HUNTINGTON, W.Va., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, reinforced its commitment of building the best wireless network in Huntington by announcing $16 million in network enhancements in 2006 to expand coverage, increase capacity and meet growing customer demand. This is in addition to the company's $9 million in network investments last year in West Virginia, which included 10 new cell sites across the state. "Whether watching a show at Big Sandy Arena or a game at Marshall University, Cingular customers throughout the Huntington area can depend on the most reliable wireless service in the region," said Chris Penrose, Cingular Vice President and General Manager for West Virginia and Virginia. "That is why more people in West Virginia choose Cingular than any other wireless provider." Cingular's analysis of recent drive test information provided by Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. confirms that Cingular has the best-performing wireless network in Huntington as measured by a combination of fewest dropped calls and fewest call setup failures. Global Wireless Solutions is an independent research and advisory firm that provides information, insight and network performance measures for the wireless industry. Enhancing the Network "Our goal is simple: to give our customers the best possible wireless experience in West Virginia," said Penrose. "This means providing unmatched voice and data coverage in Huntington, Charleston and across the state." Cingular will add two new cell sites to expand and improve coverage in areas along Route 152 between Lavalette and Wayne and on I-64 between Route 52 and Route 75. In addition, Cingular is beefing up indoor coverage at the State Capitol in Charleston and at the Toyota Plant in Buffalo to better serve employees and visitors. The company is further bolstering network reliability through network optimization activities and by installing back-up generators at cell sites. To accommodate the increasing number of wireless users in Huntington, Cingular has boosted network capacity by 56 percent since January of 2005 by adding more radios and channels to existing cell sites. Later this year, Cingular will install a new switching facility in Huntington which will allow the Cingular network to carry double the amount of voice and data traffic volume it can today. Since merging with AT&T Wireless in late 2004, Cingular has invested more in its West Virginia network than has been spent in the previous three years combined," Penrose continued. "We're building on that commitment with another $20 million in capital expenditures this year." Nationwide, Cingular Wireless will spend more than $6 billion on network investment this year. Wireless customers who choose Cingular in West Virginia will be using the world's most popular wireless technology, available in more than 200 countries and used by more than 70 percent of the global wireless market. With unparalleled international capabilities, Cingular's international roaming feature gives customers with compatible devices access to their voice and data services while abroad. Continuous Network Testing Cingular Wireless monitors network performance 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure the network is operating at optimum levels. Cingular has a dedicated group of network engineers who drive more than 45,000 miles each year in West Virginia to test network quality and coverage. In addition, the company uses third-party vendors to independently assess network performance throughout the year. About Cingular Wireless in West Virginia Cingular Wireless began providing service in West Virginia under the AT&T Wireless name in DATE. The company employs more than 100 people in the state. Cingular Wireless products and services can be purchased at 8 company-owned retail locations and through 34 authorized agents and national retailers in West Virginia. Cingular Wireless is committed to providing great customer service and is a member of the Better Business Bureau of West Virginia. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 55.8 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases emailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/. DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Alexa Kaufman of Cingular Wireless, +1-301-489-3610, or mobile +1-301-742-0888 Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/

Copyright