Welcome!
AT&T and our employees have been a part of the Palo Alto community for decades, and we’re poised to make a significant upgrade to our wireless infrastructure in Palo Alto. It will be built with skilled union labor and paid for with private investment dollars. This is a critical time in the evolution of technology, when people are less tethered to a home or desk phone and need access to the people and information anytime, anywhere. AT&T is working to make that possible.
How can I help?
Now is the time to let your voice be heard Palo Alto. If you’d like to have a better wireless experience — one with fewer dropped calls, faster data speed, and more reliability — here’s your opportunity. Sign-up to be updated about meetings and events that will determine the future of your wireless network. READ MORE
One Step Closer!
posted by SHIYAMA CLUNIE, APRIL 5, 2012
Our first batch of Palo Alto’s new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) was approved in January, but our work is not yet done. In order to keep on track for rolling out the next generation in wireless infrastructure for Palo Alto, we are continuing to submit applications for DAS sites throughout the city.
We’re excited to have submitted the second and third batches of applications for DAS sites in to the Palo Alto Planning Department (see the applications on our DAS page FAQ). The second batch of 15 nodes will provide wireless service in the area of northeastern Palo Alto between University Ave. and N. California Ave, while the third batch covers 20 nodes to improve service in southeastern Palo Alto west of Oregon Expressway and east of El Camino.
Some of you may have attended our neighborhood Open Houses, which we host prior to submitting our applications. At these Open Houses, community members have a chance to speak with AT&T technicians, real estate experts, and RF engineers. They also get the opportunity to look at photo simulations of a DAS site and learn about projected coverage improvements in their neighborhoods. Thank you to everyone who participated in the March 23rd Open House! Check our Community Calendar page for future events.
With these three batches submitted, we’re well on our way to fully upgrading Palo Alto’s wireless infrastructure. To learn more about Palo Alto DAS, click here. To get involved, sign up on the side bar and we'll be in touch.
AT&T and Education: Aspiring to be great
posted by SHIYAMA CLUNIE, APRIL 4, 2012
While there are a lot of new and exciting things going on in the technology world, in this blog post, I’d like to focus on a very important issue: education.
Did you know that every 26 seconds, another American high school student drops out? That’s 1.2 million students each year. And consider this: on average, a high school dropout earns 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree. The numbers are astonishing, and we’d like to do all that we can here at AT&T to improve this situation.
With that mission in mind, we created our “AT&T Aspire” program which remains the largest education initiative in AT&T’s history. So far, the results have been good. We’ve impacted more than one million students across the country and helped them graduate from high school. But we can still do better.
This year we are launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help prepare even more students for success in the workplace and college. We want to see those attendance numbers improve and the graduation rates go up!
The single most important thing we can do to help this country get back on track is to invest in our future workforce. We need to make sure the next generation is filled with educated and innovative minds. I believe that AT&T’s investment in our children and in our communities will serve generations to come.
I hope this message will inspire our students to aspire to be great.
For more information on aspire, please visit: www.att.com/aspire
Good News! City Council Approves DAS Application
posted by SHIYAMA CLUNIE, FEBRUARY 14, 2012
Good news, Palo Alto!
On January 23rd, the Palo Alto City Council approved our first DAS application, representing a major milestone in our efforts to improve wireless coverage in Palo Alto.
This would not have been possible without the support of Palo Alto residents. Your time and energy – whether it was attending the City Council meeting, writing letters in support, or spreading the information to your friends and neighbors – made all the difference.
Prior to casting their votes, several Council members heralded the DAS as a welcome upgrade in a city that should live up to its reputation as "the heart of Silicon Valley." A number of residents spoke in support of the DAS, echoing these sentiments and joining more than 1800 residents' names and messages of support for wireless improvements that were displayed on large poster boards in Council chambers.
This win reflects almost two years of collaboration and communication with Palo Alto residents, city staff and city leadership. We are excited to improve residents’ access to the people and information they value, and we know you are, too. But our work isn’t done. In the weeks to come, we’ll be submitting three additional DAS permit applications in Palo Alto to complete our wireless network upgrade. Stay tuned!
ARB Grants Unanimous Approval! City Council is next
posted by JANUARY 13, 2012
On December 8th, Palo Alto’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) gave unanimous approval of our Distributed Antenna System (DAS)! Your letters, emails, and in-person support helped us make a major step towards better wireless service in Palo Alto.
The next step in the process is a vote by the City Council, scheduled for Thursday, January 23rd , 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Your support can help us with this vital vote. Let me know if you can make it, or send a letter to the City Council if that’s easier. You can do that right from our website.
More info or RSVP to shiyama.clunie@att.com; (650) 615-6852
Hello Neighbors
posted by OCTOBER 10, 2011
My name is Shiyama Clunie and I’m your contact for AT&T’s Palo Alto wireless infrastructure upgrade project.
I’m a Palo Alto native like many of my family and friends – so I don’t just work with the Palo Alto community – I’m part of it!
Over the past few months we’ve been getting input from the community on our upgrade and one of the main things you’ve asked for are for more informational updates – so that’s what you’ll find here.
We’re also in the process of making changes to this website so it’ll be more useful to you. While these changes are coming, you’ll immediately notice:
- Community Calendar– Now you can easily view information about upcoming City Council meetings, AT&T open house meetings in your neighborhood and updated applications and other related items,– We’ve uploaded our applications to the City of Palo Alto and to the Architectural Review Board for your use and review ( You’ll find them on our DAS page).
- Update – AT&T submitted a permit application for 20 DAS installations, to the City’s Planning department on September 13th. We expect a response from the city no later than October 13th. [For reference, A Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, is a network of smaller, spatially separated antenna nodes connected to the communications network.]
As we’re updating this website, please return often for more updates and answers to what is happening in Palo Alto. I’ll continue to update this blog with news as we move forward on upgrading the AT&T network.
In the meantime, I’m here to help and to answer your questions. You might see me around town or at any of our neighborhood meetings. Feel free to stop me to ask questions, or contact me directly at sr2597@att.com.
Public Safety
The other day I was struck by how important wireless technology is to our personal safety.
Just think about the recent San Bruno explosion. On the very evening of the explosion, I was driving toward San Bruno on my way back to the office and I saw helicopters flying overhead. Then I heard on the radio about the fire and explosions.
I called (using my hands-free Blackberry) our External Affairs Vice President to alert her that we would most likely need to mobilize our teams for the next day.
During the night, our San Bruno store manager visited the community centers to hand out mobile phones. Our teams were ready to respond with service restoration and repair. Before I went to bed, I activated three cellular on wheels (COWs) to be readied for the next morning’s rush of expected cell phone traffic.
The next morning I got a call that we only had two COWs in operation while one was delayed pending approval from emergency responders. I used my mobile phone to call the San Bruno emergency response center and spoke to the head of the team. I was able to secure permission for our third COW and relayed that information to my AT&T colleagues on site.
By the time I arrived in San Bruno, our teams were already setting up the third COW. The emergency responders started mobilizing needed support for the displaced residents in San Bruno. Those teams were all using mobile phones. Due to damage, wireless coverage in the area was limited until we were able to get the COW deployed and installed. As a result of the high numbers of emergency responders and media on-site, mobile phone usage increased dramatically and AT&T was able to respond and add capacity to handle the need.
AT&T also had back-up systems in place and even rushed additional generators to the affected neighborhoods so customers could use their cell phones. It was an important use of cell phone capabilities and we were honored to have helped the San Bruno residents during that emergency.
While the San Bruno experience was an extreme situation where our cell phones were used to meet emergency challenges, there are every day experiences where our cell phones also really make the difference. For example:
- People use their phones to take photos of accidents or crimes in progress and then send them to emergency personnel;
- With their built-in GPS function, smart phones can be used by 911 personnel to locate callers in emergency situations.
- Parents use smartphones to keep track of their children.
Our cell phones have become tools in protecting us nearly all of the time. They serve a greater purpose, not just connecting us to friends and family, but emergency services.
What are your stories about times that you needed your cell phone or smart device? I’d love to hear them — email me at randy.okamura@att.com.
Why Did We Build This Site?
posted by MARCH 24, 2011
Hi, Randy here.
I’m really glad you’re here/reading this.
If you’re into tech, or you’ve come to rely on wireless — for yourself/family/kids homework, or maybe you want to find out more about our proposed WiFi “hot zone” in downtown Palo Alto! — hopefully this site is helpful.
Or perhaps you’re interested in our work in your neighborhood.
Even if none of the above applies and you’d truly rather things just stay the way they are — I’m still glad you’re here.
From our vision of a world that can seamlessly connect, to the many ways you can personally be involved in the work we perform and progress we make in your neighborhood, my hope is that this site helps convey all that we’ve set out to accomplish in Palo Alto — for Palo Alto.
I’ve been living in the Bay Area for decades, raised a family here and have been involved in Palo Alto civic life since the 90’s. Just like you — I live and work in this community. I believe that AT&T’s investment in our community will serve generations to come, not to mention make it easier for you and me to enjoy the performing arts, movies and television wirelessly! I confess to being a closet video gamer and brain teaser addict, including sudokus — all activities that I want to be able to do wirelessly, anywhere, any time. I know that many of you feel the same way!
I think — I hope — you’ll find our approach to be very inclusive, transparent and open minded.
That’s one of the reasons I’m here. And will be here. You’ll see me participating in this blog. You’ll see me in neighborhood meetings. You’ll see me walking through downtown; you’ll see me talking with our City Council and others across the City.
And here’s one thing I promise you’ll always get from me: a straight answer! Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you won’t, but I won’t talk in circles and I’ll tell you what you need to know about this initiative in which I’m proud to play a major role.