AT&T Upgrades Cell Sites In Riverhead

Downloading that email or writing your Facebook status will now be faster than ever for Riverhead residents, according to AT&T.

The mobile telephone giant said they have completed upgrades to cell sites across Suffolk, including locations in Riverhead, that will boost data and download speeds and improve voice quality for cell calls.

Fifty-nine cell sites across the county were outfitted with new radio and added frequencies called "carriers," which help increase network capacity, according to a statement from AT&T.

Ellen Webner, a spokesperson for the company, said the upgrades would help each site in Riverhead handle more traffic from users' smart phones and cell phones.

"I like to think of it as adding another lane to the LIE," Webner said. "It's the same kind of principle."

Webner added that these upgrades to the network are the precursor to AT&T's upcoming LTE network, a faster 4G frequency that does not have an official date for release. With improved mobile broadband speeds, she said, the transition between mobile broadband and LTE would be less noticeable for customers.

"True LTE will bring much faster data speed. The current mobile broadband network has enough headroom to get faster and faster," Webner said. "We're building ahead for that, because you always have to anticipate ahead of what traffic will be."

AT&T was unable to confirm whether these upgrades would also improve coverage areas for each cell site.