I really like my iPhone, but I am not such a big fan of the AT&T network. I live in one of the more rural areas of Texas and getting a 3G connection off any major highway is about as likely to happen as George W. Bush condemning the NRA. Even the lowly EDGE connection I can access most of the time drops calls as often as it answers them.

I am not the only AT&T subscriber feeling the pain of a shoddy network. AT&T has announced that it will be improving its network with a 3G mobile data speed boost with network upgrades set to start this year and complete in 2011. The upgrade will move the AT&T network to HSPA 7.2 technology allowing for 3G data speeds of up to 7.2Mbps (in theory anyway).

Perhaps the upgrade will mean that by time some of the more populated areas of the country start to get 4G LTE data access in the 2011-2012 time frame maybe those of us in rural areas will be able to get 3G access. AT&T is also planning a feature for the majority of its mobile devices that will allow them to switch seamlessly from the mobile network to a Wi-Fi connection.

[via AT&T]