In an announcement that almost makes it look like AT&T is trying to act like a competitor in the free market, the company has said it will be expanding its gigabit fiber service to several municipalities nationwide. 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. The announcement puts AT&T in closer competition with Google Fiber which recently announced expansion plans of its own.
Not surprisingly, the company says it will work with local leaders and conduct a needs assessment to determine the most economical (read profitable) markets first. “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,” the company said in a statement. Sorry, rural America.
“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,” said Lori Lee, senior executive vice president, AT&T Home Solutions.
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.
