AT&T (NYSE: T) has started rolling out an additional band of spectrum for its 3G network in San Francisco, and to the glee of customers, it’s making a noticeable difference.
The upgrade will likely give frustrated AT&T customers a glimmer of hope, given that AT&T has stayed fairly silent while many users have voiced their concerns about dropped calls and slow data speeds, especially on the iPhone.
In May, AT&T announced a number of upgrades to its network. As part of that plan, the company will use additional spectrum — the 850MHz band — to increase 3G capacity. A spokesperson confirmed that process is currently underway in San Francisco.
The early improvements seem to be noticeable. TechCrunch’s MG Siegler’s wrote today: “Over the weekend I noticed something odd going on with my iPhone: It was working!”
In addition to increasing spectrum for 3G, AT&T also plans more upgrades over the next couple of years, which includes updating its network to support High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 and improve backhaul to the cell towers, which can slow down networks if overburdened.

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