AT&T Inc. has deployed nearly 300 new cell sites across Connecticut as part of a nationwide network expansion using wireless spectrum it recently acquired, the telecommunications company said in an announcement Monday.
The new sites span coastal communities including Milford, Branford, Stamford, Westport, Bridgeport, New Haven and Norwalk, as well as central Connecticut cities including Hartford, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Manchester and Farmington.
Western Connecticut communities including Darien, Trumbull, Bethel and Greenwich also received multiple new installations.
The Connecticut deployment is part of a broader national rollout involving more than 23,000 cell sites utilizing radio frequencies AT&T purchased from EchoStar Corp. The company said the new spectrum capacity could boost wireless speeds by up to 80% in areas where the technology has been deployed.
AT&T said the enhanced network capacity aims to reduce congestion and improve performance for data-intensive activities such as streaming video, online gaming and connected devices. AT&T also said the expansion will strengthen indoor coverage and extend service to additional rural areas.
The deployment will support the expansion of AT&T Internet Air, the company’s fixed wireless home internet service that competes with traditional cable broadband providers.
The network improvements come as wireless carriers continue investing in 5G infrastructure to meet growing demand for mobile data services and compete for subscribers in saturated markets.
