Under the exclusive high-speed data contract, Cingular Wireless will provide the state with Sony Ericsson GC-83 PC modem cards -- enabled for Cingular's nationwide EDGE network -- for up to several thousand laptop computers used by state workers. Employees will use the state's Laptop Connect application in conjunction with Cingular's EDGE data services to remotely access in near real-time their daily schedules as well as information related to such areas as social services, probation, auditing and field reporting. The contract also gives local governments the opportunity to purchase GC-83 cards and EDGE service from Cingular.
Cingular also is the exclusive provider of BlackBerry wireless e-mail services for the State of Tennessee through a contract awarded in June 2004. The state already has deployed several hundred BlackBerry devices among its employees.
To support its contracts with the State of Tennessee, Cingular enhanced its network in downtown Nashville.
"Legislative Plaza, the parking garage and the basement of the Capital Building are all located underground and previously had no coverage from any wireless carrier," said Bill Plantz, executive director, network operations, for Cingular Wireless - Tennessee/Kentucky. "To resolve this issue and to make the state's Cingular voice and data services more accessible, we installed cell site equipment in the parking garage and a dedicated antenna system throughout all of the state buildings."
Overall, Cingular installed 42 antennas covering thousands of square feet of office and conference room space, enabling the company to enhance the state's voice, BlackBerry and EDGE services. Any Cingular Wireless customer inside the buildings and parking garage will benefit from these network enhancements.
Cingular continues to improve its network coverage and performance. In 2004, over $125 million dollars were invested in the network infrastructure in the Tennessee/Kentucky region. In 2005, the company plans to spend millions of additional dollars in Tennessee/Kentucky to integrate the Cingular and former AT&T Wireless networks, increase coverage and capacity, build new cell sites, add portable generators and back-up batteries, and offer enhanced new features.
