One of the biggest gripes iPhone users have had is the network powering the device: AT&T. Complaints have ranged from a slow network to having a weak signal when competitors have better coverage in that area. To ease concerns, AT&T has been upgrading its network behind the scenes and now the carrier is bringing HSPA 7.2 support to six major cities.

Almost all of AT&T’s cell sites run at a slower 3G speed despite some of the carrier’s phones having support for faster 3G standards (HSDPA) such as the iPhone. One of Apple’s marketing points for the iPhone 3GS was its enhanced speed not only in CPU clock but also in its network connection and runs at the newer 7.2 Mbps 3G standard despite AT&T not supporting those speeds yet. Thankfully, AT&T is bringing support for its faster 3G standard to six cities: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami. AT&T is enthusiastic about its network upgrade.

“Our deployment of HSPA 7.2 and supporting backhaul connectivity will enable our customers to continue to ride the leading edge of emerging devices and thousands of mobile applications, our network is based on the predominant technology platform used by operators worldwide and has been tested by today’s most popular devices. That experience gives us an important advantage in developing and deploying new technologies to meet customers’ future needs.”

Via: The iPhone Blog