CT part of AT&T’s $19B cell upgrade

AT&T said today that it will add nearly 20 new cellular sites in Connecticut this year, and upgrade more than 50 others throughout the state.

The upgrades are part of  AT&T’s companywide wireline and wireless capital investment plan for 2010, in which the telecommunications giant plans to invest as much as $19 billion. That would be an increase of between 5 percent and 10 percent over 2009, the company said.

AT&T spokesman Adam Cormier said the Connecticut investments will not lead to any direct new jobs in the state. Cormier noted, however, the company has added 160 positions in its retail and U-verse stores.

“These investments in smart networks are enabling the innovation of today and tomorrow that will enhance economic growth and stimulate jobs,” said William Leahy, AT&T’s vice president, Atlantic Region legislative and regulatory affairs. 

AT&T said wireless data traffic on its network has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, largely attributed to more people using advanced smartphones that are generating dramatically increasing volumes of network traffic. 

In 2009, the AT&T added more than 10 new cell sites in Connecticut, and upgraded more than 150 existing sites to 3G.

From 2007 through 2009, the company said its total capital investment in its Connecticut wireless and wireline networks was nearly $825 million.