AT&T picks Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson for network

(AP) -- AT&T says it has picked Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson to supply the equipment for its next wireless network, which will provide faster data speeds starting next year.

The vendors will supply cell-tower equipment for a technology called LTE, or Long Term Evolution. It will provide speeds that are at least ten times faster than today's wireless broadband.

Dallas-based AT&T Inc. will be about a year behind Verizon Wireless in building out an LTE network. In the meantime, it's boosting speeds on its existing network, something Verizon can't do because it uses a different technology.