Louise Finnegan, Cellular One CEO, On Cell Tower 2012

With the rural part of northern Arizona growing on the Navajo reservation, cell one announced that it will upgrade its entire network to 3G and 4G data speeds beginning this summer with completion of the rollout by the end of the year.

“This year we are inarguably taking our network to the next level.  The move to 3G and 4G technology has long been a top priority for Cellular One,” said Cellular One CEO Louise Finnegan.

The local cellular carrier will also launch a number of new cell sites before the end of this year, they said it represents a 50 percent increase in the number of sites it operates in the region.

The technology partner selected by Cellular One to assist with the rollout of its 3G and 4G upgrade is Ericsson, the world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and services to mobile and fixed network operators.

According to cellone, in conjunction with the network upgrade, Cellular One is increasing its cell tower presence throughout 2013 with the addition of a large number of news sites.

They said, they would like to increase that number of sites by 5o percent. The objective is to fill coverage gaps that exist in rural communities, provide more coverage along remote travel routes, and expand coverage within previously underserved areas such as the Eastern Agency of New Mexico.