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AT&T to Invest $14B in Wireless and Wireline Broadband Networks
AT&T plans to invest $14 billion over the next three years to expand and enhance its wireless and wireline IP broadband networks to support growing customer demand for high-speed Internet access and new mobile, app and cloud services. Company expects $8 billion investment for wireless initiatives and $6 billion for wireline initiatives.
Operator aims to expand its 4G LTE network to cover 300 million people in the United States by year-end 2014, up from its current plans to deploy 4G LTE to about 250 million people by year-end 2013. AT&T has acquired spectrum through more than 40 spectrum deals this year (some pending regulatory review) and has plans to buy additional wireless spectrum to support its 4G LTE network. AT&T expects to have about 118Mhz of spectrum nationwide.
In the 25 percent of AT&T's wireline customer locations where it's currently not economically feasible to build a competitive IP wireline network, the company said it will utilize its expanding 4G LTE wireless network (as it becomes available) to offer voice and high-speed IP Internet services.
AT&T also expects to deploy small cell technology, macro cells and additional distributed antenna systems to increase the density of its wireless network, to further improve network quality and increase spectrum efficiency.