AT&T spent $82M on MD wireless and wired networks in first half of 2012 for 4G LTE, ahead of possible iPhone 5 unveiling

In the first half of 2012, AT&T invested $82 million in its Maryland wireless and wired networks for 4G service, boasts a company press release.
“Network upgrades include activation of new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage, deploying faster connections to enable 4G speeds and adding spectrum capacity to support additional traffic,” said the presser.

[Full Disclosure: AT&T was a sponsor of the first Bmore Tech Meetup, which Technically Baltimore organizes.]
The announcement comes ahead the rumored unveiling of the iPhone 5, which has been speculated to have LTE capabilities. Sprint has recently made clear its own plans to expand its own 4G LTE network in 100 cities by year’s end, in an effort to keep up with competitors AT&T and Verizon.
The AT&T first-half upgrade includes, according to their release:

• “Expansion of 4G LTE in the suburbs of Washington, DC and Baltimore, further expanding the LTE footprint in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties
• “Addition of network capacity, which is like adding lanes to a highway, to lessen congestion and maintain the flow of data throughout the state, including the Washington, DC and Baltimore areas, as well as the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland
• Deployment of two cell-on-wheels (COWs) to accommodate increased wireless network demands from high concentrations of smartphone users at the AT&T National in Potomac, MD at the end of June and deployment of a COW at the Star Spangled Sailabration in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in June”