AT&T upgrading 3G network to 7.2Mbps and adding bandwidth capacity

Today AT&T announced that it will begin upgrading its 3G network to use faster HSPA^(INFO) 7.2 technology this year, and that the upgrade should be completed during 2011. The upgrade to the HSPA 7.2 system will allow for download speeds as fast as 7.2Mbps in theory, though the company is quick to point out that real world speeds could be significantly slower. AT&T's network currently uses a 3.6Mbps flavor of HSPA.

AT&T has also said that it is going to double the amount of frequency spectrum that will be available for data traffic in most metropolitan areas, an obvious nod to the capacity issues the company has been experiencing with the growing popularity of smartphones like the Apple iPhone 3G. The company has also promised to increase the amount of bandwidth that connects its towers to the internet backbone to allow for the increased demands from the HSPA upgrades and its upcoming LTE^(INFO) based data network.

AT&T notes that it plans to add roughly 2100 new cell sites nationwide, and that customers with qualifying data plans will be able to seamlessly switch back and forth between AT&T's wireless network and its nationwide WiFi network on certain AT&T smartphones. A number of 7.2Mbps 3G laptop cards and smartphones are planned for launch later this year, according to the company, and LTE trials are to start in 2010.