DL - 4G Americas

AT&T's wireless network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of
technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely-used wireless network platforms in
the world. This dominant technology means that AT&T customers benefit from global roaming capability,
prioritized research and development, the best options in cutting-edge devices, and smoother evolution to
newer technologies.
The GSM/UMTS platform enables continued enhancement of mobile broadband speeds as AT&T evolves
to the next generation of technologies.
AT&T has been a global leader in planning and deploying mobile broadband technology. In 2005, AT&T
became the first carrier in the world to widely deploy an HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access)
network. Two years later, AT&T upgraded the network with HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access)
technology, which provided a substantial improvement in uplink speeds for the network.
In 2010, AT&T upgraded mobile broadband cell sites nationwide to High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA)
7.2. HSPA 7.2 provides theoretical peak speeds that are twice as fast as HSPA.
By November 2010, AT&T had again made substantial upgrades to its network, by deploying HSPA+ in
80 percent of its mobile network. AT&T expected to cover 250 million POPs with HSPA+ by the end of
2010.
The company is also among the world’s leaders in moving to LTE, the next generation of wireless
technology. Today, AT&T has LTE trials in Baltimore and Dallas, and is planning to have 70-75 million
POPs covered by the end of 2011.
These advancements, when combined with an ongoing initiative to increase the number of high-speed
backhaul connections to cell sites, are a part of AT&T’s strategy to provide customers with an enhanced
mobile broadband experience, both today and in the future.
In October 2010, AT&T introduced the first LTE and HSPA+ capable LaptopConnect devices. The AT&T
USBConnect Adrenaline from LG will be LTE upgradeable, while the AT&T USBConnect Shockwave
from Sierra Wireless will offer HSPA+ connectivity.
Ericsson: Today's mobile broadband services enabled by Ericsson’s HSPA systems support up to 42
Mbps peak theoretical throughput on the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps on the uplink (Rel-6). In December
2008, Ericsson was the first vendor to provide the first step of HSPA Evolution in commercial networks in
both Australia and Europe when up to 21 Mbps peak theoretical downlink speeds where enabled by
Telstra in Australia and 3 in Sweden (Rel-7). On July 17, 2009, Telecom Italy launched the world’s first
HSPA MIMO network, supplied by Ericsson, with peak theoretical downlink speeds up to 28 Mbps (Rel-7).
And in February 2010, Telstra in Australia started to offer services up to 42 Mbps, based on Ericsson's
dual carrier HSPA technology. Key characteristics in Ericsson's HSPA offering for mobile broadband are
superior radio performance with a comprehensive RBS portfolio for optimized coverage and capacity,
excellent in-service performance built on scalable and future proof 3G platforms with an easy path to
further steps in HSPA Evolution (HSPA+) that will increase HSPA peak theoretical throughput speeds up
to 168 Mbps and above on the downlink and more than 20 Mbps on the uplink within the coming years
(Rel-10).
The popularity of smartphones is growing, as consumers see the greatly expanded connectivity and
communications options they offer and operators recognize the additional revenue potential. Soon, many
networks in developed markets will see smartphone penetration exceed 50 percent, growing towards 100
percent. Ericsson is the leader in supporting operators with a large population of smartphones and we
www.4gamericas.org February 2011 Page 100