AT&T's goal is to stay ahead of tech curve

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AT&T's goal: "More bandwidth in more places." AT&T is a beast. The telecom giant has local phone operations in 22 states; "Internet Protocol" (IP) networks that carry voice, data and video in more than 140 countries; and a long-distance backbone that traverses the USA. Undersea fiber-optic cables used for trans-Atlantic communications? Check that box, too. It's also building an advanced video network that offers a circus of converged services. AT&T is also the USA's No. 1 wireless cellphone carrier, with about 73 million customers. Staying ahead of the technology curve is a constant challenge. One of the biggest obstacles: the copper network. Used for decades to provide traditional land-line phone service, the network is creaky and expensive to maintain. As more people cut the cord and go wireless, there are fewer people to spread those "fixed" costs among. AT&T is considering a range of technology solutions. At the top of the list: "WiMax," an advanced wireless technology that can handle voice, data and video. WiMax is also cheap to install and maintain. Also under consideration: femtocells. The technology, which relies on miniature wireless receivers, can significantly boost the performance of in-home broadband connections.


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