AT&T invests nearly $110 million in Kentucky networks in first half of 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2013) — AT&T has invested nearly $110 million in its wireless and wired networks in Kentucky through the first half of 2013, the company said Wednesday.

The investments included deployment of new macro cell sites, small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems across the state as a part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP, a three-year investment plan announced last fall to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks. The company also expanded and enhanced its 4G LTE network – which provides ultra-fast mobile Internet speeds – and deployed new Wi-Fi hot spots.

“This investment is significant for Kentucky not only for its magnitude, but also because it is exactly the kind of investment our commonwealth needs as we build an economy in which our children and grandchildren will succeed and prosper,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “The infrastructure needed for commerce in a global economy has shifted from roads and rail to communications networks that allow us to stay connected.”

“As the way Kentuckians communicate and do business continues to change, it is no surprise that the telecommunications industry is one of the state’s leading investors,” said State Senate President Robert Stivers. “The employers we rely on and the friends and family we interact with every day are demanding new technology to stay connected. If we want to continue to say that ‘Kentucky is open for business,’ then we need to take the necessary steps to ensure that substantial investment like this continues to flow here instead of other states.”

AT&T is proud of its investments in Kentucky “in our networks, in our employees and in our communities,” said Hood Harris, president, AT&T Kentucky. “Consumers are demanding new communications technologies and more wireless connectivity across the commonwealth. As we seek to build a Kentucky in which our children and grandchildren can grow up and be successful, we continue to invest to meet increased consumer demand.”

Highlights of network upgrades completed so far this year in Kentucky include completing the installation of a new 4G LTE capable Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) at Churchill Downs. Across Kentucky, 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 multiple areas of the state, including Ashland, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville. Nationwide, more than 225 million Americans have access to AT&T 4G LTE service. By year-end 2013, AT&T expects to cover nearly 270 million people and 400 markets with its 4G LTE network.

The 2013 year-to-date network investment builds on the nearly $650 million that AT&T has invested in its Kentucky wireless and wired networks from 2010 through 2012.

For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Kentucky or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer.