AT&T Enhances Houston Area Mobile Coverage for Pro Football’s Big Game

Upgrades Provide Additional Wireless Capacity and Coverage for Customers

When football fans head to Houston for the highly anticipated “Big Game,” they can expect an enhanced AT&T* mobile experience as they share once-in-a-lifetime moments with friends and family.

We’ve been working for more than a year to expand our mobile internet coverage. This is part of a continued investment to support growing demand for wireless devices and services. We’ve done this through a series of permanent and temporary upgrades throughout the Houston area.

Customers will be connected from the moment they arrive. They can share moments on social media during the week-long pre-game festivities, back at their hotels and during the “Big Game” in Houston—faster and easier than before.

In total, we’re investing more than $40 million so fans can have an all-around better mobile experience.

At the football stadium in Houston, we’ve upgraded our Distributed Antenna System (DAS). It will now provide 100% more LTE capacity than the start of the 2016 pro football season. This gives fans strong cellular coverage throughout game day – from tailgating to the trophy presentation.  

We’ve also upgraded or installed new DAS at 13 locations throughout the Houston area ahead of the “Big Game.” Fans can enjoy better coverage in hotels, arenas, airports, convention centers, among other venues.

A DAS installation consists of multiple strategically-placed antennas that distribute the wireless network coverage throughout the stadium. These antennas manage the wireless capacity in heavily-trafficked areas, like football stadiums. This brings better, more consistent wireless coverage to customers indoors and out.

“When our customers head out in Houston to cheer on their favorite team, we want them to have a great network experience—whether they’re making a call, checking email or sharing their favorite moments on social media,” said Jorge Vazquez, vice president and general manager, of AT&T South Texas. “But many of the network enhancements in Houston don’t stop after the Big Game. They’re permanent and will continue to benefit customers after. It’s just one way we’re continuing to invest in our Houston wireless network.”

In addition to the stadium in Houston, we’ve upgraded or installed new DAS at the airports and convention center in Houston.

We’re deploying 6 Cell on Wheels (COWs) to handle expected increased wireless network demands for the “Big Game.” They will improve reliability and data speeds during the week leading up to and during the “Big Game.” This includes:

• A COW near the stadium in Houston to support pre-game events
• 2 Super COWs to cover football experience celebrations in downtown Houston
• A COW at Club Nomadic for DIRECTV NOW Super Saturday Night

We expect crowds of more than 1 million people, but we’re ready with 549 new or enhanced nearby cell sites. These investments will let Houston residents celebrate the “Big Game” over the AT&T network, at home, at work and on the go.

AT&T invested more than $1.35 billion in its Houston area wireless and wireline networks between 2013 and 2015.

For more information about AT&T coverage in Houston or anywhere in the U.S., 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.