New equipment cabinets like this one house radio equipment that provides "4th Carrier" service to Antioch

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In what should comes as welcome news to Antioch residents, AT&T today announced that has upgraded its area network equipment in an effort to provide customers faster smartphone data connections and more reliable cell phone service.   

AT&T’s network enhancements include a new cell site in Antioch designed to bolster coverage in the area bounded by Hillcrest Avenue and State Highway 4.  This will also improve coverage from State Highway 4 to Hidden Glen Drive. 

The new Antioch site is part of a larger series of upgrades on the part of AT&T throughout Contra Costa county.  In all, the company says it has added additional capacity to 34 cell sites in Contra Costa County this year alone to help improve overall service.  

All this sounds like a great development for smartphone users as they type away on email, read the news, or check the latest Raiders/49ers scores.

"Adding more capacity to a cell site is like adding more lanes on the freeway so that voice and data traffic flows faster,” said Terry Stenzel, AT&T Vice President and General Manager for Northern California and Northern Nevada. “Whether customers are talking, texting, e-mailing, surfing the net, streaming music or video, using their favorite apps, or conducting business we want to make sure they have a good mobile broadband experience.”

In addition, the company continues upgrading its cell sites with fiber optic and Ethernet connections that enable faster 4G speed in certain areas.

“We’re investing in our network in Antioch and Contra Costa County because we’re committed to providing best-in-class wireless voice and data service to our customers,” said Ken McNeely, AT&T’s California President.  “AT&T has invested nearly $775 million in its San Francisco Bay Area wireless and wireline networks from 2008-2010, and we will continue investing and making network improvements.”

AT&T says that its mobile broadband network already provides built-in advantages for customers, including the ability to talk and while on the internet at the same time. Nearly half the company’s customers now use smartphones.  In 2008, there were about 20 million connections to the AT&T Wi-Fi Network, while in 2011, there have already been 443 million such connections.