AT&T® has carried out several large-scale expansion steps for granting access to its internet service across several communities in Georgia. The Telco intends to extend the services to more regions so that both urban and rural areas will remain well connected to its internet service. This ongoing expansion is a part of the FCC Connect America Fund, which AT&T® has committed to along with numerous other internet providers for extending internet access and bridging the digital divide across the country. AT&T® has already provided high-speed internet service to several rural and underserved regions.
This includes about 46 counties, covering more than 27000 locations in and around Georgia. AT&T® is deploying its Fixed Wireless Internet for expansion into many of the rural areas of Georgia. The fixed wireless service first unveiled in Georgia provides high-speed internet having about 10 Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds. The internet connection is transferred from a wireless tower to the fixed antenna located on the customers’ location, whether home or office.
AT&T’s fiber optic cables supply the signals to these towers for wirelessly transmitting them to the fixed antenna. Casey Cagle, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia said, “In today’s digital economy, access to reliable broadband service is critical. I’m pleased with the continued investment from AT&T®. With the use of multiple technologies across Georgia, we can close the access gaps that exist in some of our rural communities, allowing us to compete for the best jobs and grow economic opportunity for all Georgians.”
The new expansion will free up AT&T’s high-speed internet service to about 46 counties in Georgia. Besides the fixed wireless service, AT&T® has also extended its fiber network known as AT&T® Fiber, across more than 725,000 locations in Georgia. AT&T® Fiber provides ultra-fast one-gigabit speeds to the customers that enable them to better utilize the web for streaming HD content, downloading, and playing online games.
Chris Clark, President and CEO at Georgia Chamber of Commerce, stated, “I am thankful for the leadership of our elected officials who work to ensure a pro-consumer business environment and am delighted to see so many Georgia residents benefiting from this innovative technology made possible by private investment.” AT&T®, with its wide-scale expansions in Georgia, is planning to cover more locations across the country by mid-2019.
Bill Leahy, president of AT&T® Georgia, said, “The thousands of dedicated men and women who work for AT&T® and call Georgia home, are proud to work with our state’s political leadership to provide the connectivity Georgia’s residents and businesses demand.”