Taking on Google fiber plan, American telecom service provider AT&T today said it will expand fiber network to up to 100 locations.
These 100 locations will include cities and municipalities nationwide, including 21 new metropolitan areas, said AT&T.
With previously announced markets, AT&T now has committed to or is exploring 25 metro areas for fiber deployment.
Besides Google, AT&T needs to compete against top cable operators in the U.S.
Also read: Google and Apple take center stage in Comcast appeal for merger with Time Warner
Internet speeds reaching up to 1 Gigabit per second means 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.
AT&T is racing against Google and cable companies to bring higher-speed fiber services to customers within its network operation areas, Bloomberg reported.
The company said it will work with local leaders in these markets to discuss ways to bring the service to their communities.
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, said AT&T in a statement.
Lori Lee, senior executive vice president, AT&T Home Solutions, said: “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.”
AT&T U-verse uses advanced IP technology and a network that includes fiber-optic technology to go beyond what cable can offer.
AT&T Project Velocity IP plan is aimed at enhancing 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.
AT&T expects that its wired IP broadband network will reach 57 million customer locations in its 22-state wireline footprint by the end of 2015.
Google v/s AT&T
The Internet search engine giant Google, based in Mountain View, California, started its fiber service in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2012. It has expanded to Provo, Utah, and Austin, and announced plans to add Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and other markets, Bloomberg reported.
In Provo, Google offers Gigabit Internet service for $70 a month, plus a $30 construction fee. A combined Internet and TV service costs $120 a month, plus the construction fee and local taxes.
In Austin, AT&T’s GigaPower service ranges from $70 a month to $150 when phone and TV are included.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
