Cingular Lights Up New Orleans With Wireless Broadband Service

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of people living or visiting The Big Easy will no longer need to rely on wired connections for broadband access to information as Cingular transforms the city into a wireless super speedway.

Cingular today begins offering its 3G mobile wireless broadband service throughout the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. Cingular customers can now use Cingular's 3G mobile broadband network to rapidly access e-mail, browse the Internet, connect to business applications, watch video clips while on-the-go strolling along the scenic streets of Riverwalk Marketplace, shopping on famous Royal Street, the attending classes at UNO or waiting in the New Orleans International Airport.

Cingular 3G not only offers advanced wireless services, such as viewing video clips, it enhances existing services by making them run faster. Customers can now download a game or ringtone, or access e-mail, in a fraction of the time it used to take. Additionally, Cingular customers using a 3G handset with a data rate plan package can access all the company's data services whenever they're connected to the Cingular network.

"Whether you are a small business owner, a student, or a frequent traveler you're always on the go and need quick access to information," said Joe Larussa, vice president and general manager, Cingular Wireless, Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana/NW Florida. "Our 3G service gives our customers the ability to watch news, sports and entertainment highlights, weather forecasts and more on their phone while waiting in line at the airport or grabbing a seat at a restaurant. We're providing customers with an 'invisible wire' that extends their broadband experience beyond their office or home."

Cingular's 3G network provides average download data speeds between 400- 700 kilobits per second with bursts to over one megabit per second. The company currently provides 3G services in 145 major metropolitan areas including 65 of the top 100 largest cities in 33 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.

HSDPA/UMTS technology makes it possible for people to enjoy a wide variety of wireless content and gives Cingular the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services to customers based upon the global standard for wireless communications - GSM. For businesses and consumers, this means more feature-rich services and content, and for Cingular, a more economical method for carrying traffic and more efficient use of spectrum.

PERSONAL MOBILITY - FAST AND FURIOUS

Customers who want to watch video highlights of the New Orleans Saints game or view highlights of a number of HBO's series including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Entourage" or "The Wire," can see it all -- and more -- by signing up for Cingular Video. Cingular Video is an on-demand streaming video service with a large selection of popular mobile content that can be viewed on 3G-capable Cingular phones.

"We've tailored Cingular Video so that customers can quickly and easily personalize and access the information that's most important to them," said Larussa.

Cingular Video includes local weather forecasts in 100 cities across the country. Basic Cingular Video service includes more options for families from media outlets including ABC TV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, CMT, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, Disney Mobile Studios, ESPN, FOX Sports, FOX News, FOX TV, FUEL, HBO Family (premium), HBO Mobile (premium), iFilm, Jayski Alerts, MTV, Music Choice, NASCAR.com To Go (premium), NCAA Championship Sports Content, NBC, Nickelodeon, Richard Childress Racing, SPEED, Spike, The Weather Channel, TV Guide Channel and VH1.

Cingular currently offers 3G service on several devices including the LG CU500 phone, the Samsung Sync, and the Samsung BlackJack and Cingular 8525 PDAs. The company is adding several other handsets to its product line in the coming months. Prices for Cingular 3G handsets start at $49 after a $50 mail- in rebate for a two-year service plan commitment. Cingular Video requires a $19.99 MEdia Net Unlimited data package. Premium content, such as HBO Mobile, is available on an additional monthly subscription basis, while other content, such as music video clips from Music Choice, is available on a pay-per-view basis for a 24-hour period of time.

MOBILIZING BUSINESS AT HIGH-SPEED

Utilizing its 3G network, Cingular's LaptopConnect solutions give businesses the ability to use their laptops to access the Internet or e-mail, download large files and attachments, or run corporate business applications at average data speeds between 400-700Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink, with bursts to more than one megabit per second.

"Businesses need the same fast reliable access to information whether they're working from a desktop in their office or making a presentation at an offsite location," said Gerald Denicola, director of sales for Cingular's East Louisiana market. "They don't want to wait for a large contract to download or access their company's intranet site to check inventory status. With BroadbandConnect, they don't have to anymore."

Cingular LaptopConnect combines either an external LaptopConnect card or an integrated modem within a Laptop and Cingular's Communication Manager to provide access to the 3G network. The service also offers additional security features compared to alternative wireless technologies.

Customers can purchase either an Option Wireless or Sierra Wireless laptop modem card for $49.99, after rebate, when they sign up for a qualifying voice plan and two-year, Unlimited Data Connect plan. Customers can also purchase a Dell Latitude D620 or Dell Latitude D820 at http://www.cingular.com/dell. Cingular's Unlimited DataConnect plan currently is $59.99 for customers who sign up for a two year term and have a qualifying voice plan with Cingular.

Additionally, business customers traveling outside the United States can select one of two international data plans. Cingular DataConnect North America ($109.99 for 100MB) for travel within Canada and Mexico, and DataConnect Global ($139.99 for 100MB), an overseas plan -- both include unlimited data usage on Cingular's domestic data networks. Cingular is the first and only carrier in the world to offer a single card/single rate plan solution for international travelers.

All Cingular LaptopConnect cards and Integrated modems are tri-band HSDPA/UMTS (850/1900/2100Mhz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution/General Packet Radio Service) in four bands (850/900/1800/1900Mhz), which means the devices are interoperable between the company's nationwide EDGE network and it's 3G network. Additionally, customers can use the cards to access broadband service in approximately a dozen countries, and other data connections in more than 100 countries.

THE TECHNOLOGY: HSDPA/UMTS

HSDPA is the high-speed evolution of GSM/EDGE (Global System for Mobile Communication), which shares a common core network and therefore is backward compatible with EDGE/GPRS.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, customers will receive service on the company's EDGE network. The Cingular EDGE network is available to 270 million people in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along 40,000 miles of highways, providing average data speeds up to 135Kbps. GSM is the world's most popular wireless technology, which is used by international wireless carriers to serve more than two billion people worldwide, and enabling Cingular customers to make/receive voice calls in nearly 200 countries.

The launch is part of the company's $165 million investment in its Louisiana network this year. Over the past three years, Cingular has invested more than $350 million in the area adding new cell sites, new switching facilities, back-up generators and batteries and improving overall coverage and capacity.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 58.7 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corporation , has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(r), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases emailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/.