AT&T plans to spend $14B over three years on wired, wireless upgrades

Computerworld - Over the next three years, AT&T plans to spend $14 billion on capital improvements to its wired and wireless networks, including an expansion of 4G LTE service to 300 million people by the end of 2014.

The carrier said that its wireless investments will add up to $8 billion, and its outlays for wired technology will total $6 billion.

AT&T previously said that its LTE network would reach 250 million people nationwide by the end of 2013. To hit that goal, it plans to buy more wireless spectrum for its LTE service. In the 22 states where it offers wired voice and data services, AT&T plans to have its LTE network cover 99% of all customer locations.

The carrier also plans to deploy small-cell technology, macro cells and distributed antenna systems to improve the quality of its wireless service.

The initiative, called Project Velocity IP (or Project VIP), is part of the company's plan to spend $22 billion per year on capital improvements over the next three years.

On the wired side, AT&T said it will expand its U-Verse system for broadband Internet, adding 8.5 million customer locations for a total of 33 million. Also, U-Verse speeds will be improved to up to 75Mbps.

This version of this story was originally published in Computerworld's print edition. It was adapted from an article that appeared earlier on Computerworld.com.

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