Given recent news, more people are learning about the planned combination of AT&T and T-Mobile USA. It’s important the citizens of Wisconsin understand how this transaction will benefit them and our state.

As commonly known, consumers are rapidly migrating from traditional wired phones to wireless devices that allow us to do more than just talk. They enable us to work, pay our bills and use many applications – all while on the go, anywhere wireless coverage reaches. At AT&T, we’ve seen this growth firsthand. Data usage on our network grew by more than 8,000 percent from 2007 to 2010 and we know this growth will continue. We estimate that in the first five to seven weeks of 2015, we will carry the same amount of mobile data traffic on our network that we carried in all of 2010, as customers continue to mobilize everything.

The combining of AT&T and T-Mobile is the fastest and surest way to meet this increasing demand. AT&T and T-Mobile have compatible technologies, complementary spectrum assets and well-matched cell site locations. The combining of assets will truly be “1 + 1 = 3,” as network efficiency and capacity are increased. That means better coverage, fewer dropped and blocked calls, and faster data downloads for our customers.

It also means AT&T will be able to expand its deployment of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), the premier next generation advanced mobile broadband technology, to significantly more Americans than without the transaction. More than 97 percent of the U.S. population will be covered by AT&T’s 4G LTE network if the transaction is approved. That’s an additional 55 million more Americans, including many who live in small towns and rural areas. More than 1.75 million Wisconsin residents will be covered as a result of this transaction. These incredible numbers align with the National Broadband Plan, which aims to make broadband available to all Americans by 2015.

This expanded LTE deployment will allow more local businesses to connect to the global marketplace and will provide more Wisconsin residents with the opportunities that expanded access to LTE brings. For example, more school districts will gain access to additional online resources, turning more students into global learners.

The expanded deployment of 4G LTE technology will also substantially contribute to the nation’s economy. A study by the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the additional $8 billion infrastructure investment that AT&T will make as a result of the transaction will result in an additional 55,000 to 96,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The combining of AT&T and T-Mobile is good for Wisconsin, good for businesses, and good for customers. It will improve existing service, dramatically expand 4G LTE technology, and provide new means for economic growth to our state’s businesses.

-- VanderSanden is president of AT&T Wisconsin.

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