Mike Scott named president of AT&T Kansas
TOPEKA — AT&T announced that Mike Scott has been named president of AT&T Kansas. Scott most recently served as vice president-external and legislative affairs of AT&T Kansas.
As president of AT&T Kansas, Scott will oversee the company’s local, state and federal government relations efforts in the state, in addition to working closely with community and business leaders, elected officials and others at AT&T to continue to bring advanced communications technologies, including 4G LTE and other broadband services, to consumers and businesses.
“I am honored to lead a tremendous AT&T team here in my home state of Kansas,” Scott said. “I look forward to helping continue our legacy of investment, job creation, innovation and community engagement across this great state.”
Scott has been employed by AT&T Kansas for 29 years, serving in the areas of public relations, regulatory and external affairs. He also spent nine years in college athletic public relations before joining AT&T in 1985.
Scott has lived in the Kansas cities of Overland Park, Topeka, Manhattan, Garden City and Lawrence. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in journalism and mass communications in 1976. A native of Hays, Kansas, he and his wife Nancy have two grown, married sons and three grandchildren.
AT&T has expanded its commitment to the Great Bend area with a new retail location.
The expansion of AT&T services in Great Bend is designed to meet the growing needs of its customers in the area. It comes amid ongoing network upgrades that now offer wireless broadband coverage to about 99 percent of Kansans, including in the Great Bend area.
“Great Bend area customers now have a compelling new option for wireless services to fit their lifestyle,” said Nancy Garvey, vice president-general manager for AT&T’s Greater Midwest Region. “Our goal is to become America’s premier retailer by providing an exceptional experience in every interaction, and that begins with having stores conveniently located for our customers.”
The new store at 3407 10th St. offers customers a vast selection of devices and services, including 4G LTE smartphones and tablets. The Great Bend store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customers also can shop online at www.att.com.
AT&T services also are available for sale at Radio Shack, which is an AT&T authorized retailer location in Great Bend.
AT&T’s expanded presence in Great Bend comes against a backdrop of significant wireless network improvements across the state of Kansas.
Late last year, AT&T announced that wireless network improvements since the beginning of 2011 had expanded the company’s mobile broadband coverage to nearly 98 percent of the state’s population, including Great Bend. So far this year, AT&T has built another 12 new cell sites, upgraded 69 sites to 4G LTE, and expanded existing LTE capacity on another 39 sites statewide, expanding coverage to about 99 percent of Kansans.
AT&T invested more than $825 million in its Kansas wireless and wireline networks from 2010-2013, and continues to expand its networks in 2014. Over the previous six years (2008-2013), AT&T invested more than $140 billion into its wireless and wireline networks across the country in the form of capital investment and acquisitions of spectrum and wireless operations. Since 2007, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a September 2013 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”
AT&T’s current retail expansion comes amid the company’s Project Velocity IP (VIP), a multi-year plan to invest for growth, announced in 2012. Through this investment, AT&T is supporting its customers’ growing desire for high-quality, fast wireless and wired services. As part of Project VIP, AT&T is deploying small cell technology, macro cells and additional DAS, which will increase the density of our wireless network. The wireless network densification will further improve network quality and increase spectrum efficiency.
