AT&T ramps up broadband rollout

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 09 May 2006 04:11

Business IT - Networking

AT&T is to expand broadband rollout in its 13 state local service area using a combination of FTTN, satellite and WiMAX technologies.
The initiatives were announced by AT&T chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre during a keynote address to the Detroit Economic Club.  They include three components:

- Offering a satellite-based broadband service in select rural markets in AT&T's residential service territory, most of which are not presently served by landline broadband services.

- Making its Project Lightspeed video services available within three years to more than 5.5 million low-income households as part of the initial rollout in 41 target markets. (AT&T has previously announced plans to spend approximately $US4.6 billion on its Project Lightspeed initiative to reach nearly 19 million homes by year-end 2008 as part of its initial deployment).

- Expanding the rollout of WiMAX and other fixed wireless technologies. New deployments will begin later this year in Texas and Nevada, joining existing AT&T fixed wireless service offers in Alaska, Georgia and New Jersey.

AT&T claims to be already the nation's largest provider of DSL broadband, with 7.4 million DSL lines in service and DSL service options available to nearly four out of five customer locations within its 13-state local service area.

AT&T says satellite and fixed wireless broadband offerings will be used to evaluate promising new technologies that have the potential to extend its broadband reach to 100 percent of its residential and rural service area. "In the AT&T traditional local service area, these initiatives could help bring broadband to as many as 11.5 million additional homes and businesses," the company said.

AT&T said that its existing and planned limited fixed wireless offers "will provide opportunities to evaluate various technology solutions under a number of conditions, using both licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and including both rural and urban settings and for both business and residential customers."

The satellite service will be launched this month and delivered through an operating agreement with high-speed Internet provider WildBlue under the name "AT&T High Speed Internet Access, powered by WildBlue."

Subscribers will have three service packages to choose from, with prices ranging from $US49.95 to $US79.95 per month, and broadband speed options ranging up to 1.5Mbps downstream and up to 256 Kbps upstream. AT&T satellite customers will have direct access to the public Yahoo! portal, which will be set as customers' default Internet home page.

Within three years, AT&T says it intends to make its new IP-based video services available to more than 5.5 million low-income households. These will be identified using US Census Bureau data - within the 41 markets where the company is initially building its new video-capable network. These customers will have access to the full suite of AT&T U-Verse products, including voice, video, high-speed Internet access and, later, voice-over-IP services.

AT&T's new fixed wireless deployments will be launched mid-year in Pahrump, Nevada and Red Oak and Midlothian, Texas and will expand AT&T's fixed wireless research initiatives beyond its existing commercial trial deployments in Alaska, Georgia and New Jersey.

In his speech, Whitacre announced that AT&T's WiMAX trials in the villages of Aniak and Northway, Alaska, had already proved to be successful enough that the company plans to offer commercial services in those communities.