This summer AT&T says it will begin lighting up Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding Texas cities with U-verse with AT&T GigaPower, its symmetrical 1-Gbps fiber to the home (FTTH) service.
Dallas and Fort Worth were on AT&T’s list of 100 potential new markets for the GigaPower service announced in April this year (see "AT&T releases list of potential new 1-Gbps FTTH markets").
In the Dallas area, the initial AT&T GigaPower network deployment will launch in Highland Park and University Park and offer the 1-Gbps service immediately. Other parts of Dallas and surrounding cities will launch this summer at up to 100 Mbps, and customers will be eligible to upgrade to speeds of up to 1 Gbps by the end of 2014. Surrounding cities launching at the lower rate will include Allen, Fairview, Irving, and McKinney.
In Fort Worth, initial deployment will launch at up to 100 Mbps as well, and customers also will be eligible to upgrade to speeds of up to 1 Gbps by the end of 2014, AT&T says. Additional cities around Fort Worth where up to 100 Mbps will also launch this summer include Arlington, Euless, Granbury, North Richland Hills, Weatherford, and Willow Park.
And this is only the beginning, the operator asserts. AT&T will continue lighting up new areas and expanding the AT&T GigaPower network to more residents and small businesses across North Texas through the end of 2014 and beyond.
"We're proud to be the first to offer ultra high-speeds to local consumers and employers in Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding cities," said Dave Nichols, president, AT&T Texas. "As we roll out these ultra-fast speeds beginning this summer, the AT&T GigaPower network will help encourage economic development in the area by facilitating a new wave of innovation through enhanced opportunities for education, health, research, and small business growth."
"North Texas has a long history as a technology innovator," said Mabrie Jackson, CEO/president of the North Texas Commission. "Maintaining that pace-setting role requires a continual nurturing of our tech ecosystem. AT&T's substantial infrastructure investments in our region will help strengthen that competitive edge, ensuring that North Texas continues to lead in creating an environment that inspires technological innovation."
AT&T notes that it has invested more than $6.55 billion in its Texas wireless and wireline networks from 2011 through 2013, and employs more than 35,500 people across the state.
The AT&T GigaPower network launched to thousands of households in Austin, Texas, and surrounding communities in December 2013 (see "AT&T launches 300 Mbps U-verse in Austin with 1 Gbps on the way"). The AT&T GigaPower network will also expand to parts of North Carolina (see "1-Gbps FTTH agreements keep coming for AT&T in North Carolina").
AT&T asserts that, if and when its proposed acquisition of DIRECTV is complete, the company will expand AT&T GigaPower to an additional 2 million customer locations. These 2 million locations for GigaPower will be over and above what the company has announced previously, AT&T says.
For more information on FTTx/access systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.