HUNTINGTON -- Though West Virginia hasn't been a highly prized cell phone market in the past, cell phone companies such as nTelos are increasing coverage to compete for customers.

Mike Minnis, nTelos director of public relations, said the company has made great strides to increase cell coverage in the area. Currently it has 52 cell tower sites in the greater Huntington area, Minnis said, including two sites activated in March. Minnis said nTelos has scheduled four more sites to be built in the area by the end of the year.

Aside from increased cell service, nTelos also is touting the launch of its nationwide mobile broadband service, a high-speed wireless data service, in the Tri-State. The implementation of the new mobile broadband technology gives customers wireless Internet access from their laptops, smart phones and cell phones.

The technology has increased data speeds on the company's network, allowing for faster download speeds and quicker functioning smart phones, Minnis said.

Now with the new mobile broadband, Minnis said, customers in the Tri-State can expect to stay connected at speeds up to 10 times faster than dial-up. Areas affected by the increased coverage in West Virginia include Huntington, Barboursville, Milton and Ceredo.

"Since we built our wireless company, our top priority has been focusing on West Virginia and its growth areas," Minnis said. "We want to stay on the leading edge of technology where our customers are served."

While nTelos has focused on two primary cellular markets, Virginia and West Virginia, since the late 1990s, several other wireless providers are increasing their coverage and presence in the state.

Verizon Wireless recently announced it has built new towers in the region and will be offering service in the Huntington-Charleston area. Sprint, AT&T, Alltell and Cingular also have cell towers throughout the region and offer service to West Virginia residents.

The increase in cell towers by nTelos will be beneficial to everyone for cell phone service, Minnis said. The new broadband technology, however, is reserved for people who pay for a package that allows them to use broadband on another company's cell site, Minnis said. nTelos customers receive all the newly implemented upgrades and increased coverage.

Earlier this year, nTelos began an $80 million commitment to bring mobile broadband service to the entire nTelos wireless network.

So far this year, 30 of 77 cell tower sites have been constructed in the state. The total number of cell tower sites in West Virginia, Minnis said, will be more than 350 by the end of 2008.

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