Apple released its latest version of the popular tablet computer, the iPad, today. This version, dubbed iPad features a fist full of pixels in its new Retina display and faster broadband speeds with 4G connectivity.
Up until recently, Juneau residents would not have had access to the faster data transfer speeds provided by fourth generation cellular technology. AT&T has recently finished upgrades to its broadband service to provide 4G connectivity to customers in Juneau.
Verizon and AT&T use similar 4G with Long Term Evolution and HSPA+ formats. AT&T uses HSPA+ in Juneau, which is compatible with Apple's newest iPad and iPhone 4S. Verizon does not have cell towers of its own in the capital city, though the company has proposed building a tower near Mendenhall Loop Road. Verizon has an agreement with ACS which allows Verizon’s customers to share ACS’ cell towers in Alaska, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
"Today, it's all about connectivity and speed, so AT&T is very excited to offer the new iPad which will operate on the AT&T 4G network giving customers much faster download and upload times," said Mike Maxwell, AT&T’s vice president and general manager of the Pacific Northwest region.
Juneau's AT&T store is selling the new iPad with Wi-Fi and 4G service. The tablets come with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal flash memory. The 16GB model costs $629.99. Month-to-month data plans start at $14.99. Walmart is also carrying the iPad.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (5)
Add commentOh BY THE WAY...
So, Tell us all when AT&T is going to rollout this new Data Service on their Cellsites out here in the bush. (Hoonah, Haines, Gustavus, etc) Inquiring Minds want to know.....
Oh BY THE WAY...
So, Tell us all when AT&T is going to rollout this new Data Service on their Cellsites out here in the bush. (Hoonah, Haines, Gustavus, etc) Inquiring Minds want to know.....
This is just Ad fluff.
AT&T has had HSPA+ on the Juneau/Ketchikan/Sitka/Skagway (Other small communities also, notably excepting Haines and Hoonah :) towers for quite some time. HPSA+ is closer to 3.5G than 4G, LTE (Long Term Evolution) is true 4G.
Regardless of whether you buy the hype and call HPSA+ 4G or not, it has nothing to do with overall speed of your cell phone data connection.
It's the back-end stupid. I can have the same connection from my phone to the Cell tower here in Juneau and in Seattle. But speed tests confirm that I get 1/4 to 1/3 the speed in Juneau that I do Seattle. It doesn't have to do with the number of users on the tower (I've done these tests at ALL hours of the day).
The amount of bandwidth (Data pipe) that AT&T connects to it's cell towers in Alaska in general are VERY small in comparison to what they do down south.
This will always be true because the cost of bandwidth in Alaska is painfully expensive due to lack of competition and connectivity options.
If you are comparing urban environments (Juneau, Fairbanks, Anchorage) it costs about the same to connect 10 Mb to a tower as it would to connect 155 Mb to a tower in Seattle. If you did the same comparison in one of the rural villages it's closer to 1.5 Mb to 155 Mb.
Even when there is fiber connecting all the villages and remote communities, it will still be expensive (MANY MANY communities, even small ones have fiber connectivity to the lower 48, but it's still expensive because that fiber is controlled by one-two companies which can dictate the price).
This article would have been much more interesting if they had done some in depth research and explained something factual, rather then just be an ad piece.
Alaska Dude - thanks!
AD - I appreciate the info! It tells me the 3G I already get in town on my current device will not benefit from a hardware upgrade this summer. Stick with the phone I have until it breaks apart, eh? Good info!
@AlaskaDude
"This article would have been much more interesting if they had done some in depth research and explained something factual"
story of dis newspaper, ya dig?