Cingular Offers 3G Coverage in over 160 Markets

Cingular announced that its 3G mobile broadband network now extends from San Francisco to New York, and from Chicago to Dallas, making wireless services available in more than 160 markets, including most of the top 100 major U.S. cities.

Cingular's 3G network provides average download data speeds between 400- 700 kilobits per second with bursts to over one megabit. HSDPA/UMTS technology allows users to enjoy a wide variety of wireless content and gives Cingular the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services to customers based upon the global standard for wireless communications - GSM. For consumers, this means more feature-rich services and content, and for Cingular, a more economical method for carrying traffic and more efficient use of spectrum. HSDPA is the high-speed evolution of GSM/EDGE, which shares a common core network and therefore is backward compatible with EDGE/GPRS.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, customers automatically receive service on the company's EDGE network. The Cingular EDGE network is available to more than 270 million people in 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along 40,000 miles of highways, providing average data speeds of up to 135Kbps. GSM is the world's most popular wireless technology, which is used by international wireless carriers to serve more than two billion people worldwide and enabling Cingular customers to make/receive voice calls in nearly 200 countries and access data services in more than 115 countries. With select 3G devices, customers traveling internationally can receive mobile broadband connections in more than two dozen countries.

"We're delivering on a commitment we made to our customers to enhance our core network and extend our 3G services nationally," said Ed Reynolds, president of Network Services for Cingular. "We will continue investing in and building out our 3G network so that customers across the country can experience all the benefits that wireless communications can deliver."