AT&T Enhances Game Day Mobile Internet Coverage in FedEx Forum

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27, 2014 — When a big play happens this week for the NCAA Tournament at FedEx Forum in Memphis, basketball fans can expect to enjoy an enhanced mobile experience as they pull out their wireless device to share the most exciting moments with friends and family in the 19,000 sf. indoor arena.

As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced wireless devices and services, AT&T* has expanded its mobile Internet coverage at FedEx Forum by upgrading its Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to enhance the customer experience throughout the facility.

AT&T has invested nearly $1.3 billion in its best-in-class wireless and wired networks in Tennessee between 2011 through 2013, driving a wide range of upgrades to enhance speed, reliability, coverage and performance for residents and business customers.

“We are able to attract big time sporting events like the NCAA tournament to Memphis because our facilities enable the full fan experience like handling tens of thousands of simultaneous tweets during games,” said Memphis Mayor A C Wharton.  “We want visitors to our city to be able to connect with family and friends and share the highlights from the games and the great atmosphere, entertainment and hospitality that Memphis offers.”

“FedExForum is proud to help service Downtown Memphis with AT&T’s upgraded 4G LTE Distributed Antenna System,” said FedExForum & Memphis Grizzlies Vice President of Arena Operations Eric Granger. “The service will provide an exceptional customer experience for FedExForum guests, tourists and those in the downtown area with an improved ability to connect and communicate with others.”

“Great wireless service is very important to our ability to attract conventions and major events to our city,” said Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau President Kevin Kane. “We are fortunate to have local and state elected officials like Mayor Wharton who understand the importance of great wireless service to our city and who are working to ensure that Memphis is an attractive place to visit, invest and grow.”

A DAS installation consists of multiple strategically-placed antennas that distribute AT&T’s wireless network coverage throughout FedEx Forum, providing for more efficient management of wireless capacity in heavily-trafficked areas, such as football stadiums.  DAS has the ability to provide enhanced, consistent wireless coverage to customers in indoor or outdoor spaces where geographical limitations – terrain, building construction, etc. – or crowd density might otherwise prevent an optimal wireless experience.

The FedEx Forum DAS installation is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP (VIP), a multi-year plan to invest for growth, announced in 2012. Through this investment, AT&T is supporting its customers’ growing desire for high-quality, fast wireless and wired services.  As part of Project VIP, AT&T is deploying small cell technology, macro cells and additional DAS, which will increase the density of our wireless network. The wireless network densification will further improve network quality and increase spectrum efficiency.

“When our customers head out to the stadium to cheer on their favorite team, we want them to have a great network experience throughout the game no matter what they’re doing – whether that’s making a call, checking email, downloading apps or surfing the Internet,” said Chuck Thomas, regional director, external affairs, AT&T Tennessee. “With initiatives like Project VIP, we’re continuing to investment in the wireless network, and providing enhanced wireless coverage at Fed Ex Forum is just one way that we’re investing in Memphis.”

DAS technology helps improve the mobile Internet experience by shortening the distance a request must travel. The additional capacity also is expected to help improve call reliability, boost data traffic capacity and enable more consistent network access to help customers make the most of their AT&T devices.

These investments help to ensure that Tennessee residents continue to enjoy the best possible experience over the AT&T network, whether at home, at work or on the go.  Our 4G LTE network has more coverage than T-Mobile’s, is faster than Verizon’s, and is the most reliable in the nation. ** And the great performance of AT&T’s 4G LTE network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing.

• Our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive’s most recent 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall.  PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T’s as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.***
  
• And AT&T was named America’s fastest 4G LTE network  in PC Magazine’s 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****

Across Memphis and Tennessee, AT&T’s 2013 investments have resulted in expansion and enhancement of our 4G LTE network, which provides ultra-fast speeds.  AT&T 4G LTE is now available in 139 cities across the state, including Nashville as well as Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cookeville, Dyersburg-Ripley, Knoxville, and here in Memphis. Our 4G LTE deployment is ahead of schedule, covering nearly 280 million people. We expect to be substantially complete with our 4G LTE deployment by summer 2014.

AT&T’s focus to deliver the best possible mobile Internet experience goes beyond 4G to embrace additional connection technologies. AT&T operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network***** including more than 32,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, and provides access to more than 529,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn’t count against customers’ monthly wireless data plans.

Over the past six years (2008-2013), AT&T invested more than $140 billion into its wireless and wireline networks, when you combine capital and spectrum acquisitions. Over the past six years, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a September 2013 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”

For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Memphis or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer.  For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Speed and reliability claims based on analysis of independent third party data re national carriers’ 4G LTE.  LTE is a trademark of ETSI.  4G LTE not available everywhere.  

*** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, “AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo”

**** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp

***** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.