CHICAGO (April 21, 2020)
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.
Learn more about how networks are adapting to the new normal (Ericsson Blog)
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Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com
Jannie Tong, Ericsson
Office: 214-415-0815
E-mail: 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 Chicago-based carrier is building a stronger network with the latest 5G technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations.
To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.
Katie Frey, U.S. Cellular
Office: 773-317-0002
E-mail: Katie.Frey@uscellular.com