(ARA) - Imagine standing in a long line at the post office waiting to send a birthday present to your friend. At the last minute, when it's almost finally your turn, you realize you forgot to include her apartment number in the mailing address. After an initial wave of panic, common sense takes over and you whip out your mobile phone, call your friend, get the number and mail the package.

This makes you one of the more than 136 million people in the United States who used wireless phones for an estimated 450 billion hours in 2001 (the equivalent of 51 million minutes used every hour). That's one-and-a-half times the hours used in 2000.

This huge leap in usage has a simple explanation: Wireless phone users want to stay in touch. People are looking for convenient ways to connect with their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, employers and everyone in between. Wireless communications make it possible to keep in touch even when you're on the go.

For a dad whose job takes him away from home frequently, that means being able to call his 10-year-old son to wish him luck on his big test the next day (without paying pricey hotel long distance charges).

For a busy mom, it means being able to call the babysitter to let her know she is stuck in traffic and running a little late.

Significant improvements in the network coverage area have made mobile communications more practical than ever. For example, Cingular Wireless, the second largest wireless carrier in the nation, recently announced a $945 million investment into the West Region network, which includes California, Nevada, Washington, Northern Idaho and Hawaii.

"Cingular believes in providing the best wireless service possible to our customers," said Steve Sitton, president, Cingular Wireless West Region. "By consistently investing in our network, we will ensure that our customers continue to receive the high-quality service they have come to expect from our company."

Cingular's investment will increase the company's service reach and improve network quality for its customers, thereby improving the overall customer experience.

"We've declared 2002 the Year of the Customer here at Cingular," Sitton continued. "We want our customers to be satisfied knowing that we will help them stay in touch with all their loved ones, no matter where they may be."

For more information, please call (866) CINGULAR or visit the Cingular Web site, www.cingular.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content