AT&T has decided that today is finally the day to formally announce their plans to begin upgrading their mobile broadband speeds.  AT&T plans on beginning the upgrade to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology later this year and is expecting the upgrade to be complete in 2011.

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega had already indicated such plans earlier this year, but AT&T has finally decided to make it official.  The upgrade to the network could allow theoretical speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, but in a real-world environment the speeds will obviously vary based on quite a few factors, including location, device, and overall traffic on the network at the time of use.  AT&T plans on deploying this new technology across their entire network, and they will announce the deployment on a local basis as the speeds are cranked up.  AT&T also announced they will be introducing multiple HSPA 7.2-compatiable laptop cards and smartphones, like the rumored “enhanced 3G iPhone,” beginning later this year.

But that’s not all AT&T has planned for this year, they have also listed further plans for 2009, including:

• Near-Doubling Radio Frequency Capacity - In 2008 and 2009 to date, high-quality 850 MHz spectrum has been deployed in more than half of AT&T’s 3G network footprint to improve overall coverage and in-building reception, with additional markets planned for later in the year.
• More Bandwidth to Cell Sites - We are adding fiber-optic connectivity and additional capacity to thousands of cell sites across the country this year, expanding the critical connections that deliver traffic from a cell site into the global IP backbone network. These upgrades will support the higher mobile broadband speeds enabled by both HSPA 7.2 and LTE.
• More Cell Sites - Deployment of about 2,100 new cell sites across the country.
• Wi-Fi Integration - Many AT&T smartphones will be able to switch seamlessly between 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. AT&T customers with qualifying smartphone and 3G LaptopConnect plans have access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network – more than 20,000 hotspots, including locations in all 50 states – at no additional charge. AT&T’s global Wi-Fi footprint covers more than 90,000 hotspots, and AT&T also can create permanent or temporary extended Wi-Fi zones in areas with high 3G network use, like a grouping of hotels or a festival.
• MicroCells - Customer trials leading toward general availability of AT&T 3G MicroCell offerings, which utilize femtocells to enhance in-building wireless coverage.

Finally, AT&T also took this opportunity to announce their plans to begin 4G LTE trials in 2010, with deployment beginning in 2011.

That is a lot of AT&T network related news to take in, so just sit back, relax, and imagine the possibilities.