Competition is good.
AT&T is looking to bring 1Gbps fiber internet connections to over 100 cities and municipalities. On the list are 21 major metropolitan areas including my current home city Los Angeles.
“Californians are inventing and adopting new technologies every day. With today’s announcement, we stand ready to work with local leaders to bring AT&T U-verse with GigaPower to our state. This incredible technology will enable California entrepreneurs to innovate like never before and will give consumers the choice of an ultra-fast fiber network connection,” AT&T’s California President, Ken McNeely said.
Comcast has been upgrading connections to 100Mbps (one tenth the speed of gigabit fiber), Verizon has been stagnant with its FiOS offerings, but apparently the slow pressure building from Google Fiber was enough to move Big Blue to start offering up “GigaPower” to more consumers and businesses.
Whoever can run a line to my house first wins my business and some fresh baked brownies. You can read the full press release below.
AT&T EYES 100 U.S. CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES FOR ITS ULTRA-FAST FIBER NETWORK
Build Plan to Be Influenced by Communities Offering Strongest Investment Cases and Policies
Consumers, Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses and Start-Ups to Benefit from Most Advanced Broadband Speeds, TV, and Technology, Competitive Offers and Deeper Commitment to Fiber Technology
Los Angeles, April 21, 2014 – AT&T* today announced a major initiative to expand its ultra-fast fiber network to up to 100 candidate cities and municipalities nationwide, including 21 new major metropolitan areas. The fiber network will deliver AT&T U-verse® with GigaPowerSM service, which can deliver broadband speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second and AT&T’s most advanced TV services, to consumers and businesses.
AT&T will work with local leaders in these markets to discuss ways to bring the service to their communities. Similar to previously announced metro area selections in Austin and Dallas and advanced discussions in Raleigh-Durham and Winston-Salem, communities that have suitable network facilities, and show the strongest investment cases based on anticipated demand and the most receptive policies will influence these future selections and coverage maps within selected areas. This initiative continues AT&T’s ongoing commitment to economic development in these communities, bringing jobs, advanced technologies and infrastructure.
The list of 21 candidate metropolitan areas includes: Atlanta, Augusta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Greensboro, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Oakland, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, San Francisco, and San Jose. With previously announced markets, AT&T now has committed to or is exploring 25 metro areas for fiber deployment.
“We’re delivering advanced services that offer consumers and small businesses the ability to do more, faster, help communities create a new wave of innovation, and encourage economic development,” said Lori Lee, senior executive vice president, AT&T Home Solutions. “We’re interested in working with communities that appreciate the value of the most advanced technologies and are willing to encourage investment by offering solid investment cases and policies.”
In addition to the previously announced Austin, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, and Winston-Salem markets, the list of metros and municipalities identified as candidates include, but are not restricted to: (please see graph attached).
AT&T U-verse uses advanced IP technology and a network that includes fiber-optic technology to go beyond what cable can offer. It transforms the user experience for consumers and business users and is an essential part of AT&T’s commitment to fiber infrastructure.
The planned expanded availability of U-verse with GigaPower is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP (VIP) investment plan to expand and enhance its wireless and wireline IP broadband networks to support growing customer demand for high-speed Internet access, advanced TV services, and new mobile and cloud services. This expanded fiber build is not expected to impact AT&T’s capital investment plans for 2014. And AT&T continues to expect that its wired IP broadband network will reach 57 million customer locations in its 22-state wireline footprint by the end of 2015.
AT&T U-verse with GigaPower services are expected to include:
- Internet speeds reaching up to 1 Gigabit per second, faster than the fastest consumer Internet available in most communities today. With Gigabit speeds, you can download an HD online movie in less than 36 seconds, download 25 songs in one second, and download your favorite TV show in less than 3 seconds.**
- Access to cutting-edge TV services that include the most advanced AT&T Total Home DVR with more HD TV streams to record and watch multiple shows simultaneously, plus greater DVR storage capacity.
- Super-fast Wi-Fi speeds and the ability to schedule DVR recordings and watch hit TV shows on more than 30 varieties of smartphones and tablets, as well as your PC.
- Faster speeds that enable small businesses to more quickly and seamlessly:
o Upload, download and share large data files and images
o Back up data remotely in the cloud at one or multiple locations
o Videoconference with suppliers, business partners, and customers
AT&T U-verse with GigaPower services are available in Austin and some surrounding communities, and are expected to roll out in parts of Dallas this summer. AT&T first made the services available to tens of thousands of households in Austin and surrounding communities in December 2013 and recently announced it will expand the fiber network to double the households in the Austin area this year as a result of high demand that has exceeded expectations.
AT&T announced earlier this month that it is in discussions with North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) to bring U-verse with GigaPower to parts of Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Winston-Salem and Raleigh. The proposed plan for the North Carolina communities, which requires ratification from the six city councils, outlines fiber deployments in areas where there is demand for ultra-fast broadband and sound policies for investment.
| For more information about AT&T U-verse with GigaPower, please visit www.att.com/gigapowercities |
| Many in North Carolina Closer to Up to 1 Gigabit Network Speeds Delivered by AT&T
PulteGroup Homes Get Access to AT&T U-verse with GigaPower |