110 new cell sites in Illinois and Wisconsin - CINGULAR

[jones]

Cingular Wireless to Invest $300 Million in Illinois and Wisconsin to Enhance Service Quality and Expand Coverage
Friday August 26, 6:15 am ET
Company to Build 110 New Cell Sites to Better Serve its ALLOVER(SM) Network Customers


CHICAGO, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the country's largest wireless provider, announced it will invest more than $300 million this year on network improvements in Illinois and Wisconsin -- including turning on-air 110 new cell sites. Nationwide, the company will spend $6.2 billion to enhance and expand its ALLOVER(SM) network* nationwide over the next year.
"Better wireless coverage is what wireless consumers want, and better coverage is exactly what Cingular is delivering," said Terry Stenzel, vice-president and general manager for Illinois and Wisconsin. "We have also boosted network capacity by more than 24 percent over the past 7 months so that our customers now experience fewer dropped calls -- whether they're using their Cingular service at home, at work or on vacation."

Already this year, Cingular has put into service twenty-two cell sites improving coverage in Winnebago, Bond, Sangamon, Lake, LaSalle & Cook counties in Illinois and in Columbia, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Walworth, & Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin. The network improvements will enable Cingular customers in both states to experience the highest level of voice service quality and offer some of the most advanced data services to more customers in more places.

The company is constantly monitoring its network and its competition, driving approximately 22,000 miles per month throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. That's equivalent to nearly 1 complete trip around the earth. Nationally the company and its third party vendors expect to log nearly 30 million miles over the next year -- the equivalent of more than 50 round trips to the moon.

Cingular's interactive mapping tool, available at all retail locations and by calling 1-866-CINGULAR, can answer specific coverage questions based on a customer's address, a street intersection, zip code, state or landmark. This innovative service can help give customers information regarding coverage levels in various scenarios -- inside a building for example.

Cingular customers will have access to some 45,000 cell sites nationally by the end of 2006. The company already offers customers access to the largest digital voice and data network in America, and Illinois and Wisconsin is an important part of that network.

Cingular's ALLOVER network now covers more than 270 million people, and provides service throughout the United States including the top 100 markets. Customers on specific calling plans now have access to the largest mobile-to- mobile calling community in the country -- with free access to more than 50 million people.

The company's network growth relies on advanced GSM/EDGE technology. GSM is the world standard for wireless communication, used by more than a billion people in 200-plus countries. In fact, more than 70 percent of the world's total wireless market is GSM. The widespread use of GSM offers Cingular customers the ability to use a large variety of GSM "world phones" and devices

in more than 125 countries to make calls and access data services in more than 70 countries.

For customers interested in wireless data services, the company's EDGE network -- the fastest national high-speed data network in America -- provides average data connections of up to 135 kilobits per second in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along nearly 40,000 miles of highways.

As part of its 2005 investment, Cingular will deploy high-speed third generation (3G) UMTS/HSDPA(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System /High Speed Downlink Packet Access) service to customers in 15-20 major markets this year. The company expects to offer its 3G services in most major markets by the end of 2006.

The 3G service will offer average data speeds between 400-700 kbps and bursts to several megabits per second. Customers using the 3G service will be able use a wireless handset to make a voice call and simultaneously check e- mail, browse the Internet at speeds similar to broadband wired services, or even access a variety of video services.

For more information about Cingular, please contact 1-866-CINGULAR or visit http://www.cingular.com.

[Shizam76]

Very Cool!

Charlyee....this should make you happy as well. Although, I didn't see them mention Will county or Grundy county or Kankakee county for Illinois

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Very Cool! Charlyee....this should make you happy as well. Although, I didn't see them mention Will county or Grundy county or Kankakee county for Illinois

Yes it certainly does Shizam, infact when I first saw the thread I was very tempted to post "it's about time" .


Are you talking about the counties that were already completed? I don't see the list for the counties to be done in the future, am I missing something?

Of the counties completed, it's interesting that Milwaukee and Kenosha was upgraded and Racine county which is between those two was skipped. Actually I shouldn't complain we have very good Cingular coverage right now and if it gets better yet......WOW.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee Are you talking about the counties that were already completed? I don't see the list for the counties to be done in the future, am I missing something?

Nah...you aren't missing anything.....they completed Winnebago, Bond, Sangamon, Lake, LaSalle & Cook counties in Illinois and in Columbia, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Walworth, & Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin.

I would LOVE to see where they are planning on adding towers.....we may have to call them to find out

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Nah...you aren't missing anything.....they completed Winnebago, Bond, Sangamon, Lake, LaSalle & Cook counties in Illinois and in Columbia, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Walworth, & Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin. I would LOVE to see where they are planning on adding towers.....we may have to call them to find out

Do you think this about adding more towers, my personal feeling is that they are adding towers in theory only, in reality all they are doing is integrating the existing ATT towers into the system.

What do you think?

PS: Oh yes Walworth, that completes all the counties that surround Racine

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee What do you think?

Well.....the article says "to build new sites"......so I don't think this is just integrating AT&T towers and calling them new.....they have to build them like they said in the article.

If they don't build new towers, let's sue them! Just kidding.

[Charlyee]

Ok Shizam, I will take your word for it, I will let you know when I see any tower construction on my side and you keep me informed about the goings on, "South of The Border"...

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee Ok Shizam, I will take your word for it, I will let you know when I see any tower construction on my side and you keep me informed about the goings on, "South of The Border"...

My eyes are peeled

[sillybilly]

Charlyee, I found what you were talking about! Too bad they had to lump WI together with Illinois!! It would be nice to see Cingular add more towers in rural WI, not just next to interstates highways and big cities!! USCC could use some compition out in the farmlands!! Someone just put up a new Cell tower down the road from my work. It is either a Cingular or USCC tower because Sprint and VZW are on a tower right behind our warehouse.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by sillybilly Charlyee, I found what you were talking about! Too bad they had to lump WI together with Illinois!! It would be nice to see Cingular add more towers in rural WI, not just next to interstates highways and big cities!! USCC could use some compition out in the farmlands!! Someone just put up a new Cell tower down the road from my work. It is either a Cingular or USCC tower because Sprint and VZW are on a tower right behind our warehouse.

sillybilly, I am glad you found the thread. So this was announced in Aug of 06 and 8 months later people in WI and IL have not seen much construction, I wonder how long their time frame is from announcing to actually doing it.

I agree you can not beat USCC for urban & rural WI and IA. The GSM coverage is western WI is extremely sporadic almost none.

I notice a couple of spots between Dane Deforest exit and Mirror lake that said "no service". It didn't last for too long and the signal came back full. On the other hand I have not had my phone say "no service" anywhere between Portage and Wausau on I39. I would have expected I90/94 to have better coverage than I39. Do you think it is the terrain with all the scenic bends?

Hey, maybe I39 has better coverage because we are catering to all the "flat landers" that drive up north to their cottage every weekend...Shizam are you reading this?

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee Hey, maybe I39 has better coverage because we are catering to all the "flat landers" that drive up north to their cottage every weekend...Shizam are you reading this?

LOL I sure am! Although I don't have a cottage up there to go to every weekend....I do enjoy a trip or two to the Dells each year...and to some cheese place that is WAY out in the country in southern/western WI where I definately get no service...but has good cheese. I LOVE the hills and the scenery...it's like being far away from home. Us flatlanders are not used to such nice scenery

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 LOL I sure am! Although I don't have a cottage up there to go to every weekend....I do enjoy a trip or two to the Dells each year...and to some cheese place that is WAY out in the country in southern/western WI where I definately get no service...but has good cheese. I LOVE the hills and the scenery...it's like being far away from home. Us flatlanders are not used to such nice scenery

Thanks Shizam, glad you guys enjoy our State and bring in lots of tourist dollars every year.

Here is my fishing trip on a 6 mile stretch of the river just south of the dam.

PS: Yes there is no GSM coverage in a lot of the Western part of the State.

[jones]

They made this Claim Again,
but its 140 Cell Sites.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_143193143.html

Cingular To Spend $400 Million To Extend Coverage
(AP) CHICAGO Cingular Wireless says it plans to spend $400 million to enhance its network in Illinois and Wisconsin.

The company said today that it plans to add 140 cell sites in the two states and finish integrating its GSM network -- which it purchased from AT&T Wireless two years ago.

Cingular says it monitors its wireless network in Illinois and Wisconsin by having engineers drive 22,000 miles per month checking cell phone coverage.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by jones They made this Claim Again, but its 140 Cell Sites. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_143193143.html Cingular To Spend $400 Million To Extend Coverage (AP) CHICAGO Cingular Wireless says it plans to spend $400 million to enhance its network in Illinois and Wisconsin. The company said today that it plans to add 140 cell sites in the two states and finish integrating its GSM network -- which it purchased from AT&T Wireless two years ago. Cingular says it monitors its wireless network in Illinois and Wisconsin by having engineers drive 22,000 miles per month checking cell phone coverage.

Yeah......jones I like how the article says "plans" on...that could be anytime in the next infinity. When did you post on this the first time? It was about a year ago they said the same thing and still nothing. There is nothing like some misleading PR people at Cingular

We need to get this rolling.....Charlyee needs more southern Wisconsin coverage up there!

[jones]

Where in Southern Wisconsin?
they could be doing it in places he's Not.

Enhanced Coverage

During the first four months of 2006, Cingular has enhanced service throughout Illinois including the following cities and corresponding counties:

* Algonquin, McHenry;
* Bourbonnais, Kankakee;
* Kankakee, Kankakee;
* Chicago, Cook (Lincoln Square, near Westside, Burbank);
* Plainfield, Will and Laporte, LaPorte;
* Champaign, Champaign;
* Bluff Springs, Cass;
* Owaneco, Christian;
* Strassburg, Shelby;
* Oconee, Shelby;
* Findlay, Shelby;
* Peoria, Tazewell;
* Peoria, Peoria;
* Bay View Garden, Woodford;
* Washington, and South Pekin, Tazewell.

In Wisconsin, Cingular is offering enhanced coverage in and around the following cities and counties:

* Combined Locks, Oatagamie;
* Chilton, Calumet;
* DePere, Brown;
* Madison, Dane;
* Green Bay, Brown;
* Valders, Manitowoc;
* Sun Prairie, Dane;
* Pittsfield, Greeenleaf, and Glenmore, Brown;

[chuikov]

The word "enhanced" makes me a little suspicious. It could mean adding radios, technologies, or frequency ranges to exisiting sites. The other article is pretty clear about putting new sites on the air. It's a bit confusing as to what has actually been added to the network.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Yeah......jones I like how the article says "plans" on...that could be anytime in the next infinity. When did you post on this the first time? It was about a year ago they said the same thing and still nothing. There is nothing like some misleading PR people at Cingular We need to get this rolling.....Charlyee needs more southern Wisconsin coverage up there!

Thanks for looking out for your neighbor to the north Shizam......

Originally Posted by jones Where in Southern Wisconsin? they could be doing it in places he's Not. In Wisconsin, Cingular is offering enhanced coverage in and around the following cities and counties: * Combined Locks, Oatagamie; * Chilton, Calumet; * DePere, Brown; * Madison, Dane; * Green Bay, Brown; * Valders, Manitowoc; * Sun Prairie, Dane; * Pittsfield, Greeenleaf, and Glenmore, Brown;

Thanks Jones, a few things:
1. I am a female......
2. It is Outagamie not Oatagamie.
3. Of the counties mentioned Dane is probably the only one that can be included in the Southern half of the State. Outagamie, Brown, Manitowoc & Calumet are four adjoining counties in the East Central part of the State.
4. The Southern states that Shizam is referring to would be Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Rock, green, Lafyette, Grant, and possibly Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Iowa.
5. Cingular was has little to no coverage on the western part of the State.
6. I drove to MN on I 94 yesterday and my phone switched providers between Cingular, I wireless, Einstein PCS, and Cellular One DCS, west of the Dells and all the way into the MN border. Everytime it switched there was about a couple of miles with "no service". That was somewhat dissappointing.

Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by chuikov The word "enhanced" makes me a little suspicious. It could mean adding radios, technologies, or frequency ranges to exisiting sites. The other article is pretty clear about putting new sites on the air. It's a bit confusing as to what has actually been added to the network.

That is a thought, in which case there is no point in Shizam, sillybilly, and myself holding our breath waiting to see new tower construction.


PS: I go back to what I originally wrote this was first posted, I think Cingular is including into this 140 (110) the AT&T towers that are being merged with the original Cingular.

[sillybilly]

I'm confused. Why would they list Sun Prairie, WI? When I tried out Cingular last year and 2 years ago, Sun Prairie had great coverage!! They need to "enhance" there service in other places, not just in the "big" cities!!

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee 6. I drove to MN on I 94 yesterday and my phone switched providers between Cingular, I wireless, Einstein PCS, and Cellular One DCS, west of the Dells and all the way into the MN border. Everytime it switched there was about a couple of miles with "no service". That was somewhat dissappointing.

Charlyee...did you get any "AT&T Wireless"...or is it integrated fully up there already? I was under the impression that the snake looking cingular coverage on the map going up 94 from the Dells was all former AT&T. When I was last in the dells my phone said AT&T.

Did your phone switch to and stay on those providers? Because here...if I have no Cingular coverage....and in one of the few areas left that I can use TMobile, I use TMobile...within a few minutes my phone will change by itself to AT&T...if that is available

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Charlyee...did you get any "AT&T Wireless"...or is it integrated fully up there already? I was under the impression that the snake looking cingular coverage on the map going up 94 from the Dells was all former AT&T. When I was last in the dells my phone said AT&T. Did your phone switch to and stay on those providers? Because here...if I have no Cingular coverage....and in one of the few areas left that I can use TMobile, I use TMobile...within a few minutes my phone will change by itself to AT&T...if that is available

Shizam, my phone will not distinguish between AT&T & Cingular, the only way I would know if I was on AT&T would be if I looked at the MNC, which I did not, so I could have been on AT&T on that stretch.

My phone did stay on those networks until it lost service, actually for sometime it also went to T-Mobile (forgot to mention that on my original post). I think you are manually forcing your phone to use TM but mine was automatically switching to the available networks and reading the network ID tags.

Makes sense?

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee Shizam, my phone will not distinguish between AT&T & Cingular, the only way I would know if I was on AT&T would be if I looked at the MNC, which I did not, so I could have been on AT&T on that stretch. My phone did stay on those networks until it lost service, actually for sometime it also went to T-Mobile (forgot to mention that on my original post). I think you are manually forcing your phone to use TM but mine was automatically switching to the available networks and reading the network ID tags. Makes sense?

Sure does make sense!

[ron516]

Originally Posted by jones Where in Southern Wisconsin? they could be doing it in places he's Not. Enhanced Coverage During the first four months of 2006, Cingular has enhanced service throughout Illinois including the following cities and corresponding counties: * Algonquin, McHenry; * Bourbonnais, Kankakee; * Kankakee, Kankakee; * Chicago, Cook (Lincoln Square, near Westside, Burbank); * Plainfield, Will and Laporte, LaPorte; * Champaign, Champaign; * Bluff Springs, Cass; * Owaneco, Christian; * Strassburg, Shelby; * Oconee, Shelby; * Findlay, Shelby; * Peoria, Tazewell; * Peoria, Peoria; * Bay View Garden, Woodford; * Washington, and South Pekin, Tazewell. In Wisconsin, Cingular is offering enhanced coverage in and around the following cities and counties: * Combined Locks, Oatagamie; * Chilton, Calumet; * DePere, Brown; * Madison, Dane; * Green Bay, Brown; * Valders, Manitowoc; * Sun Prairie, Dane; * Pittsfield, Greeenleaf, and Glenmore, Brown;

It's interesting to me that the Algonquin, McHenry area is mentioned. I live in the Algonquin, McHenry area in Illinois, my service was so bad with Cingular these last 2 months that I switched to Verizon.

[jones]

Originally Posted by ron516 It's interesting to me that the Algonquin, McHenry area is mentioned. I live in the Algonquin, McHenry area in Illinois, my service was so bad with Cingular these last 2 months that I switched to Verizon.

maybe this is an incentive:
http://www.bluetomorrow.com/content/section/264/384/

[Andy]

Originally Posted by jones maybe this is an incentive: http://www.bluetomorrow.com/content/section/264/384/

Why don't you explain your reasoning in posting this as an 'incentive'.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by jones maybe this is an incentive: http://www.bluetomorrow.com/content/section/264/384/

jones, I don't understand. That article is about BT crippling by Verizon, what does that have to do with WI, IL, or Cingular?

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Charlyee...did you get any "AT&T Wireless"...or is it integrated fully up there already? I was under the impression that the snake looking cingular coverage on the map going up 94 from the Dells was all former AT&T. When I was last in the dells my phone said AT&T.

Shizam, I did check this time, and my PEBL said 310-380 (AT&T) from the Baraboo exit (Hwy 33) to just beyond the Dells when it switched to I Wireless. Eisnstein PCS and I wireless also showed up as available networks on that same stretch.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Charlyee Shizam, I did check this time, and my PEBL said 310-380 (AT&T) from the Baraboo exit (Hwy 33) to just beyond the Dells when it switched to I Wireless. Eisnstein PCS and I wireless also showed up as available networks on that same stretch.

Ahhh...okay that what I thought. Thanks for checking Charlyee Hopefully we will make it up to the dells this year....but with the wedding coming up in Sept...and the search for a house....funds are tight...so I don't know if we will make it

[sillybilly]

Originally Posted by Shizam76 Hopefully we will make it up to the dells this year....but with the wedding coming up in Sept...and the search for a house....funds are tight...so I don't know if we will make it

There is going to be a wedding chappel(like the ones in Vegas) opening(if it isn't already open!) in the Dells this summer!! Why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone?!! I'm sure your wife to be won't mind!!

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by sillybilly There is going to be a wedding chappel(like the ones in Vegas) opening(if it isn't already open!) in the Dells this summer!! Why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone?!! I'm sure your wife to be won't mind!!

LoL...sillybilly...we BOTH wouldn't mind. The mothers are stressing the bride out to the max. We are both ready to say it...lets go to a chapel...like the one in the Dells or Vegas...and come back and have a reception.

Man....if we already didn't have so much money tied up in the thing...I think we would just call it off and do this!