AT&T Boosts Network Speeds for Douglas County

Staff Report

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

What’s the news? AT&T* has expanded its 5G network in Villa Rica, giving residents, businesses and visitors a big boost in their wireless connectivity. We’ve added a new cell tower to enhance the area’s coverage and capacity, and help customers unlock the power of America’s Most Reliable 5G Network.

Among other benefits, the new cell tower in Villa Rica will provide better coverage and speeds along I-20 east of Liberty and in the area serving Mirror Lake Elementary School and Douglas County Fire Station #8.

Why is this important? We know how important it is for our customers to stay connected. And AT&T 5G brings fast, reliable and secure connectivity to more than 281 million people in over 22,000 cities and towns nationwide, which now includes Georgetown. This helps Georgia residents and businesses get the best possible experience over the AT&T network wherever they live, work and play. And it’s giving first responders on FirstNet – America’s public safety network – access to always-on, 24-hours-a-day priority and preemption across voice and data.

These enhancements also bring Band 14 spectrum to the area. Band 14 is nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government specifically for FirstNet. We look at Band 14 as public safety’s VIP lane. In an emergency, this band – or lane – can be cleared and locked just for FirstNet subscribers. When not in use by FirstNet subscribers, AT&T customers can enjoy Band 14’s added coverage and capacity.

Our commitment to Georgia Communities: From 2019 to 2021, we invested nearly $5 billion in our wireless and wired networks in Georgia. These investments boost reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for residents and their businesses.

What is FirstNet? FirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. It is built with AT&T in public-private partnership with the federal government. The FirstNet network is providing first responders with truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it, unique benefits like always-on priority and preemption, and high-quality Band 14 spectrum. These advanced capabilities help fire, EMS, EMA, law enforcement, and 9-1-1 personnel save lives and protect communities.

What people are saying:
Tianna Evola
Regional Director of External Affairs, AT&T
“AT&T is committed to investing in our local communities to help close the digital divide and connect more Georgians to a future of possibilities. This new wireless infrastructure provides Douglas County residents, businesses and first responders a boost in coverage that will help keep communities safe and open the door to new opportunities.”


Dr. Romona Jackson Jones
Chairman, Douglas County Board of Commissioners
“In Douglas County, we work every day to improve the quality of life for our citizens. AT&T’s new wireless infrastructure is a welcome investment, and it equips our residents and public safety officials with the connectivity they need to access healthcare, engage in educational and business opportunities, and respond to incidents safely and efficiently.”

Where can I find more information? Go here to learn more about how AT&T is supporting Georgia. For more about the value FirstNet is bringing to public safety, check out FirstNet.com.

FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.