Cingular Wireless to spend $22M on Missouri network

New towers already have been constructed near Lake Springfield on the southeast side of town and in downtown Carthage. Other towers are nearing completion at the intersection of East Chestnut Expressway and North Glenstone Avenue, on U.S. 160 between Springfield and Willard and near St. John’s Regional Hospital in Joplin.

Jennifer Fitzmaurice, manager of network technical sales support at Cingular, said 15 towers were added in Springfield last year.

She did not know how many towers are in the region.

The coverage-enhancement project has been ongoing since early 2004, when Cingular purchased AT&T Wireless, making it the country’s largest wireless carrier.

“When the companies merged, the goal was to get those networks combined into one network, which makes a better experience for the customers,” Fitzmaurice said. “You want the customers on the same system – you want to gain the efficiencies of both companies.”

The investment also will bring additional high-speed data services to the area and more portable and permanent generators. Equipment made redundant by the merger will be eliminated.

The goal is to provide additional coverage, fewer dropped calls and increased call clarity, Fitzmaurice said.

In 2005, Cingular spent $43 million on network improvements in Missouri and $6.5 billion nationwide.

The company plans to spend about $6 billion on improvements nationwide this year, according to Tara Traycoff, Cingular public relations director for the region.

About 85 percent of Cingular’s Missouri network integration has been completed. The project has no relation to AT&T’s merger with SBC Communications in late 2005.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s April 19 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.