More than a year after acquiring Alltel’s wireless operations, AT&T is ready to launch its upgraded coverage for more than 50,000 Alltel customers in Ohio.
Former Alltel subscribers can now access AT&T’s LTE network. The carrier says its existing cell towers can now provide better indoor coverage and wider coverage areas in general. AT&T says the integration of former Alltel towers into the network has increased its number of towers in Alltel coverage areas of Ohio by almost 40 percent.
In order to use the LTE network, AT&T is giving former Alltel subscribers comparable handsets without extending or initiating new contracts.
The Telegraph-Forum reports that former Alltel customers were anticipating the network service switch to happen in mid-October—per notification from the carriers—but the upgrade was delayed.
An AT&T spokeswoman told the paper that the carrier still had additional improvements to the network it needed to make so it put off activating customers’ devices.
In January 2013, AT&T announced it was purchasing for $780 million Alltel assets including 700 MHz, 850 MHz and 1900 MHz band spectrum along with network assets, retail stores and about 585,000 subscribers.
In addition to the network upgrade, AT&T transitioned over about 17 Alltel retail locations in Ohio to AT&T stores.
