American telecom operator AT&T today announced the expansion of its fixed wireless Internet for rural and underserved locations in 8 new states.
AT&T initially launched fixed wireless Internet service in Georgia in April. AT&T said its fixed wireless Internet service has now reached more than 70,000 locations in underserved areas across these 9 states in the US.
The investment to connect rural areas in the US with fixed wireless Internet is part of its FCC Connect America Fund commitment. AT&T plans to serve over 400,000 locations by the end of 2017 and over 1.1 million locations by 2020.
AT&T fixed wireless Internet in new states
# Alabama
# Florida
# Kentucky
# Mississippi
# North Carolina
# South Carolina
# Tennessee
# Louisiana
“We’re committed to connect hard-to-reach locations to the internet. This changes lives and creates economic growth for these areas,” said Cheryl Choy, vice president, wired voice and internet products at AT&T.
The strategy of AT&T is to expand fixed wireless services to 18 states overall later this year. AT&T’s Internet service will reach additional states such as Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.
AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet service is offering download speeds of at least 10Mbps to home internet connection users. The package includes 160GB data bucket per month. The price is $10 per 50GB for additional data up to a max of $200 per month.
The connection comes from a wireless tower to a fixed antenna on customers’ homes or businesses. Customer need to install AT&T outdoor antenna and indoor Residential Gateway to access the high-speed Internet in rural areas.
AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet is only available in select (typically rural) areas, while Wireless Home Phone & Internet is available throughout the AT&T wireless footprint.
AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet provides Internet download speeds of 10Mbps or over, while Wireless Home Phone & Internet provides 5-12Mbps speed.
AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet relies on LTE signal from a cell tower. AT&T said network capacity, terrain, buildings, foliage, and weather can impact the quality of service. AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet service is available for installation within 10 business days of ordering. Professional installation (required) usually takes about 3 hours.
