AT&T Expands High-Speed Internet in Communities across Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T^* has expanded internet access in communities throughout Alabama to better serve those in rural and urban areas alike, relying on the nearly 1.7 million strand miles of AT&T fiber optics that cover Alabama to keep Alabama's residents and businesses connected.

As part of our FCC Connect America Fund commitment, AT&T has deployed high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved locations in parts of 32 counties serving more than 37,000 Alabama locations.

This rural high-speed Internet service – deployed as part of AT&T's participation in the Connect America Fund – was first available in Alabama in June 2017, delivering an internet connection with download speeds of at least 10 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1 Mbps.

"In today's digital economy, access to high-speed internet is critical, and I'm excited to see AT&T's continued investment and innovation," said Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh. "Using multiple technologies to enhance internet access across our state, we can close the remaining gaps and continue competing for the best jobs and grow economic opportunity for all Alabama."

Parts of the following 32 counties in Alabama are now eligible for this internet service from AT&T: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Coosa, Cullman, Elmore, Escambia, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Morgan, Russell, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.

In addition to our work reaching out to largely rural areas, we have also expanded our 100% fiber network powered by AT&T Fiber^SM to more than 150,000 locations in Alabama.¹ With connections approaching 1 gigabit² per second, customers purchasing our Internet 1000 service can download 25 songs in 1 second or your favorite 90-minute HD movie in less than 34 seconds.³

"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 Alabama residents benefiting from this innovative technology made possible by private investment," said Business Council of Alabama President and CEO William J. Canary. 

Communities in Alabama are part of 67 metros nationwide where our ultra-fast internet service is currently available. We plan to reach at least 82 metros with our fastest internet service.

Today, we market a 1 gigabit connection on our 100% fiber network to over 7 million locations across 67 metros. We plan to reach at least 12.5 million locations by mid-2019.

"The thousands of dedicated men and women who work for AT&T and call Alabama home are proud to provide the connectivity Alabama's residents and businesses demand," said Wayne Hutchens, president of AT&T Alabama.

Connect America Fund Deployment:
AT&T has extended high-speed internet as part of its FCC Connect America Fund commitment to help predominantly rural areas. As a part of that commitment, AT&T began offering high-speed internet to over 440,000 locations across 18 states last year, and will expand that offer to more than 1.1 million locations nationwide by the end of 2020, many getting access to high-speed internet for the first time. In Alabama, AT&T is committed to extending high-speed internet service to nearly 67,000 locations across the state over the next several years.

To determine eligibility, interested consumers living in the counties listed above may call toll-free 1-877-990-0041. AT&T will continue making community-specific announcements in Alabama in the months ahead, providing updates about additional availability as we expand high-speed internet to more locations. Service availability is currently limited to CAF II eligible census blocks as defined by the FCC.

In addition to Alabama, AT&T has launched this service in Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

AT&T Fiber:
Our 100% fiber network under the AT&T Fiber umbrella brand lets customers choose from a range of internet speeds, all over a fast internet connection. This 100% fiber network is just one of the network technologies we plan to use to connect customers as a part of AT&T Fiber. 

With fiber at the core of our networks we plan to use a combination of fiber and 5G to be one of the country's largest high-speed internet providers. We have publicly committed to deploy fiber to 12.5 million locations by mid-2019.  Ultimately, we plan to extend fast internet to more than 50 million locations, with more than half of those locations seeing near-gig speeds, through 2020 and beyond.

AT&T Internet 1000, is our fastest internet speed tier on our 100% fiber network. It is offered at $70 per month for customers who bundle with another AT&T service on a single bill, or only $80 per month standalone. Either way, equipment is included with a 12-month agreement.⁴ Eligible services to bundle with include our award-winning DIRECTV or U-verse TV service, as well as AT&T Wireless service. We have single, double and triple play offers to fit each customer's needs.

For more information on AT&T Fiber, visit att.com/getfiber.

AT&T in Alabama:
AT&T has invested more than $1.1 billion in its wireless and wireline networks in Alabama between 2014 through 2016. This drives upgrades to reliability, coverage, speed and performance for residents and business customers.

¹ Limited availability in select areas. May not be available in your area. Go to att.com/getfiber to check eligibility.
²Actual customer speeds may vary. Download speeds are typically up to 940Mbps due to overhead capacity reserved to deliver the data.
³Speed/Time examples are estimates and based on wired connection to the gateway.
⁴Plus taxes. After 12 months, price moves to standard rate of $90/mo.

Cautionary Language Regarding Forward Looking Statements:  Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We have the nation's largest and most reliable network** and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We're one of the world's largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions. 

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.

© 2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

**Coverage not available everywhere. Based on overall coverage in U.S. licensed/roaming areas. Reliability based on voice and data performance from independent 3^rd party data.

SOURCE AT&T

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