On Thursday, AT&T announced that its 4G LTE signal now covers 300 million Americans. The nation's second largest carrier hit this mark ahead of schedule. Back in November 2012, the mobile operator set the target as part of its Project VIP. Since then, the amount of data carried by AT&T has increased by 2.5 times. Originally, the company had expected to hit the 300 million POP figure at the end of this year.
Building out a 4G LTE network requires some deep pockets. AT&T says that it has invested more capital in the U.S. economy, than any other public company during the years 2008 to 2013. During that stretch, AT&T says that it spent more than $140 billion on its wireless and wireline operations. That figure includes purchases of spectrum for its cellular operations.
"The strong performance we saw in our mobility business in the second quarter is continuing, not only because of our new service and device plans, but because more customers can get it all on a fast, reliable 4G LTE network that now covers more than 300 million Americans. Great service and strong customer loyalty begin with having a great mobile network for customers where they live. That’s our number one priority and that’s why our mobile business is hitting on all cylinders."-Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO, AT&T
source: AT&T
