AT&T says Cingular 3G deployment on track

The deployment of Cingular Wireless' 3G wireless network is proceeding on schedule and should be largely complete this year, the head of AT&T said Tuesday.

Speaking at a meeting of Wall Street analysts, AT&T Chairman Edward Whitacre said Cingular expects to deploy its 3G (third-generation) UMTS/HSDPA wireless data network in most of the top 100 metropolitan areas of the United States by the end of this year, which will continue the robust revenue growth Cingular has been enjoying recently.

Whitacre said the recent absorption of Cingular has made AT&T the nation's leading wireless provider and helped set the stage for greater focus on wireless and broadband growth.

"Through strategic investments and internal growth, we've significantly reshaped our revenue mix to concentrate on the industry's best growth areas for the future -- wireless, broadband and business services," Whitacre said. "Progress on the revenue side combined with our focus on lowering our overall cost structure provides a clear path for strong performance."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International