AT&T Mobility doesn’t want a repeat of 2009′s wireless meltdown at Austin’s annual geek gathering South by Southwest (SXSW).  The wireless provider is bolstering coverage across Austin with temporary cell towers rising from trailers strategically placed around the convention center, as well as an indoor cell system inside the Austin Convention Center.

All this to avoid the embarrassment the company experienced last year when thousands of iPhone-wielding attendees slowed AT&T’s network to a crawl.  When smartphone customers notice slowdowns or dropped service, they become vocal.  That’s no good for a convention catering to the cool-kid techie.

Making a good impression at SXSW may represent a road back to credibility for many unhappy AT&T customers, who have repeatedly criticized the carrier for not keeping up with mobile demand in 2009.  In addition to “Cellular On Wheels” — the aforementioned AT&T cell tower trailers, the company has also beefed up its permanent cell sites with improved backhaul connections, which provides increased bandwidth.

Most of AT&T’s data demands come from its exclusive arrangement with Apple to provide iPhone service in the United States.  The deal brought millions of new customers to the company, which claims to have twice as many smartphones on its network that any other carrier.

The results of all the work seem to have paid off.  Many attendees report the network is performing better than expected.  Some have noted its working even better than the conference-provided Wi-Fi network.

KXAN-TV in Austin covers the opening of SXSW and AT&T’s service improvements throughout Austin (2 minutes)