AT&T CEO: 3G coverage on par with CDMA rivals

AT&T Mobility President and CEO Ralph de la Vega declared that the operator is finally on equal footing with its CDMA competitors Verizon Wireless and Sprint when it comes to 3G coverage and data services penetration. Speaking at an AT&T investor conference in New York, de la Vega said AT&T will use its WCDMA/HSDPA network to attack its competitors using its data network and bundled services. According to de la Vega, AT&T's high-speed data network was operating in 255 metropolitan areas, covering 89 of the top 100 markets. By the end of 2008, AT&T is expected to add another 30 million pops and expand its footprint to 98 of the top 100 markets. Compared the the 1xEV-DO rollouts of Verizon Wireless, with 96 markets of the top 100, and Sprint, with 92, AT&T will be either even or ahead in 3G penetration, de la Vega said.

For more about de la Vega's comments:
- take a look at this report from Telephony