AT&T Spends $450M to Improve Coverage

AT&T customers in the Beach Cities will benefit from network improvements the company has made over the past few months, according to a representative.

The company has spent about $450 million to improve coverage in Los Angeles with 1,700 network improvements in the last few months, said Meredith Red, an AT&T representative.

"This is a densely populated area where AT&T invests heavily," Red said.

There are six upgraded sites in Hermosa Beach, seven in Manhattan Beach and 11 in Redondo Beach.

AT&T's cellular service recently ranked lowest for the second year in a row in a Consumer Reports satisfaction survey, the magazine reported Tuesday. A full survey report will be released in the magazine's January 2012 issue.

"Of the four major U.S. national cell phone standard service providers, Verizon again scored the highest in this year’s ratings, followed closely by Sprint," Consumer Reports reported. "T-Mobile was below Verizon and Sprint but continued to rate significantly better than the higher-priced AT&T."

AT&T announced in a news release that it has made more than 1,700 network improvements over the past few months and has seen a 41 percent decline in dropped calls.

"We are committed to deliver the best customer experience possible, by expanding network capacity and improving service quality," said Andy Shibley, AT&T vice president and general manager in Los Angeles, in a statement. "These improvements translate into tangible customer benefits."