SCIENCE

San Juan County residents and businesses will benefit from enhanced wireless coverage spurred by AT&T's recent network upgrades, as highlighted today in an event at the AT&T store in Farmington. Community and business leaders joined AT&T officials, who announced the completion of key enhancements intended to increase wireless capacity and improve network performance.

"Today, we're announcing the completion of key improvements in our ongoing efforts to enhance wireless capacity and augment performance of our mobile broadband network in Farmington and San Juan County," said Jennifer Biry, AT&T vice president and general manager for Arizona, New Mexico & the Four Corners region. "AT&T is always looking for opportunities to expand mobile broadband coverage for our customers, and we're delighted the community, businesses and families here can enjoy the benefits of these enhancements."

As part of Thursday's event, AT&T* announced the activation of a new mobile broadband cell site in Farmington - one that will enhance coverage for area residents and businesses. With mobile broadband speeds, AT&T customers can surf the Web, download files faster, and enjoy the very latest interactive mobile applications.

The new cell site is part of AT&T's ongoing efforts to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation's best, most advanced mobile broadband experience for customers. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.

In addition to the new Farmington cell site, AT&T has also added new layers of frequency, known as "carriers," to nine existing cell sites throughout San Juan County - specifically, in Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield - to more efficiently manage available spectrum and increase mobile broadband capacity.

The increased capacity resulting from the additional carriers will improve connectivity, increase data speed, reduce the number or dropped calls, and enhance wireless coverage throughout San Juan County.

"We are excited to have AT&T join the Farmington community and contribute to the technological and communications capabilities of our local residents and businesses," said State Senator Steve Neville. "AT&T's carrier additions and activation of their new cell site in Farmington demonstrate the company's commitment to expanding their network and enhancing our wireless experience."

"We're delighted that AT&T has invested heavily in technology in the Farmington area," said Albert Velarde, from the Walker Insurance Agency in Farmington. "Mobile broadband communications is the lifeblood of many local businesses and important to job creation and the growth of our city and New Mexico's economy."

In addition to the network enhancements, AT&T also announced several fall promotions. Among the highlights: **a free LG Thrill Android smartphone - which features dual 3D cameras, 3D display and thousands of apps from the Android Market. AT&T also announced its Switch and Save program, in which new customers get a $50 bill credit for every line they switch to AT&T. Existing customers can upgrade and receive a $50 bill credit.

AT&T's mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in more than 200 countries.

AT&T also operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network*** with nearly 27,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 190,000 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.

For more information about AT&T's coverage in New Mexico 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.

**FREE LG Thrill - customers that sign up for a new 2-year agreement with AT&T will get the LG Thrill 4G Android Smartphone for FREE. Data plan required.

Port credit - any new customer that brings their number to AT&T will receive a $50 bill credit. This credit will appear on their 2nd or 3rd billing cycle.

Upgrade credit - any upgrade eligible customer that upgrades during this time will receive a $50 bill credit. This credit will appear on their 2nd or 3rd billing cycle.

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