DETROIT — AT&T Inc. said it had upgraded its 4G network to give area residents, businesses and students near college campuses in Big Rapids, Midland, Allendale, Marquette and Kalamazoo mobile Internet speeds up to four times faster than 3G.
Additional capacity has been added to the local cell towers, which is like adding more lanes to a highway carrying traffic from a customer’s device to the cell tower, resulting in faster speeds and more reliable service. The upgrades were added to towers near the following campuses:
Ferris State University — two locations, along M-20, west of Water Tower Road and south of Damascus Road, west of the Muskegon River in Big Rapids
Grand Valley State University — at Pierce Street east of 48th Avenue in Allendale
Northern Michigan University — two locations, at Fitch and West Fair avenues and north of Wright Street, west of Sugar Loaf Avenue in Marquette
Northwood University — near Naegele and Whiting drives in Midland
Western Michigan University — at Valley Drive and Howard Street in Kalamazoo
AT&T is adding the latest in network technology, such as small cells, to ensure customers have wireless service where they need it most. The company is also using distributed antenna systems, which can improve service in crowded areas and large structures, like a sports stadium.
AT&T invested more than $1.7 billion from 2012 through 2014 to improving the network statewide, part of an investment of almost $140 billion from 2009 to 2014. Since 2009, AT&T has invested more in the United States than any other public company. In a September 2014 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”