PLANO, Texas, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Cellular
(NYSE: USM) with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) support, began boosting
mobile broadband capacity to customers in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, New
Hampshire, Maine and
North Carolina, due to increased
demand for data usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We've seen an increase in voice, SMS and data traffic in recent
weeks, but we've designed a highly reliable, hardened network that
can withstand shifts in bandwidth needs and handle unexpected
increases in usage," said Michael S.
Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology
Officer for U.S. Cellular. "During these critical yet uncertain
times, we're committed to keeping our customers connected and to
keeping our network running to ensure continuous service. We know
things will continue to change and evolve, so I'm grateful for the
long-standing relationship we've had with Ericsson and their
support during this time to make immediate enhancements as
needed."
"Our mission has always been to help our customers connect the
unconnected. This can be challenging under normal circumstances but
especially critical in a time of crisis like we have now," said
Rob Johnson, Head of Customer Unit
Regional Carriers for Ericsson North
America. "Our teams have been working around the clock to
ensure our customers' networks can withstand shifts in bandwidth
needs as people continue to work and use video conferencing from
home and kids are attending classes online instead of in the
classroom."
U.S. Cellular recently requested and was granted Special
Temporary Authority (STA) from the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to operate additional spectrum licensed to
Advantage Spectrum in the AWS-3 band for 60 days. Ericsson has
worked with U.S. Cellular to add additional capacity to more than
200 sites to help ensure connectivity for U.S. Cellular
customers.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Learn more about how networks are adapting to the new normal
(Ericsson Blog)
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Jannie.tong@ericsson.com
ABOUT U.S. CELLULAR
U.S. Cellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless
carrier in the United States,
providing national network coverage and industry-leading
innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The
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a stronger network with the latest 5G technology and offers a wide
range of communication services that enhance consumers' lives,
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Katie Frey, U.S. Cellular
773-317-0002
katie.frey@uscellular.com
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SOURCE Ericsson; U.S. Cellular