Cingular enhancing its coverage in Utah

Cingular Wireless said Tuesday it will invest $130 million in Utah to enhance cell phone coverage and has launched a high-speed data network giving Wasatch Front users wireless access to the Internet by laptop computers.

The investment includes more than 90 new cell sites, which will provide expanded coverage for areas like Logan, Moab, Ogden, St. George and even Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell.

Dewey Garner, director of sales for Utah and southern Idaho, said about 25 new jobs have been created as a result of the investment.

"That puts more people to work and really strengthens the economy," Garner said. "We really feel like we are doing a pretty substantial investment here."

By the end of 2006, all 90 new cell sites will be operating, including one at the Point of the Mountain, the boundary line between Utah and Salt Lake counties, where many cellular calls are dropped.

"The Point of the Mountain has presented some challenges for all the wireless carriers in the market for years," Garner said. "We've got a new cell site coming on air at the end of this month that will actually provide contiguous coverage up and over the Point of the Mountain and down into Utah County."

Other areas where cell towers will be located include Brigham Young University, Grantsville, Hill Air Force Base, Jordan Landing, Syracuse, the state Capitol and the Sugar House area.

Nationally, Cingular will build more than 3,500 new cell sites by the end of this year.

Cingular began its expansion last September, adding 26 new cell sites by the end of 2005. Across the nation, Cingular Wireless will spend more than $6 billion to expand its network.

"The amount being spent here (in Utah) is similar to Colorado," said Anne Marshall, a spokeswoman for Cingular. "This is a substantial investment in a very short period of time. It's very aggressive. We expect this to continue in 2007."

In December, Salt Lake City was among 16 cities to launch Cingular's high-speed data network through a special card, providing laptops full access to the Internet at speeds of 400 to 700 kilobits per second. Next week the company said it will flip a switch that expands the service from Ogden to Provo and Tooele and Park City.

Cingular is a joint venture between AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. and has 55.8 million customers.

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