AT&T Plans to Launch Blazing Fast Gigabit Internet Speeds in Augusta Area

Staff Report From Augusta CEO

Tuesday, December 8th, 2015

AT&T announced it is planning to expand the availability of ultra-fast speeds through  AT&T GigaPower to homes, apartments and small businesses in parts of 38 additional metros across the United States, which will total at least 56 metros served, including in the Augusta area.

With the launch of our ultra-fast Internet service in parts of 2 of these metros today – Los Angeles and West Palm Beach – AT&T GigaPower is now available in 20 of the nation’s largest metro areas.  

Internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second over the AT&T GigaPower network let you instantly access the latest online movies, music, games and more. AT&T GigaPower can also improve your experience when connecting to the cloud and videoconferencing, and gives you the speed to power all of your devices. 

“We’re excited to launch our ultra-high speed AT&T GigaPower service to local consumers and employers in the greater metropolitan Augusta area,” said Bill Leahy, president of AT&T Georgia and the Southeast Region. “The AT&T GigaPower network will help encourage a new wave of innovation through enhanced opportunities for education, health, research and small business growth.”

“High-speed Internet has quickly become a preferred way to access information and communicate. It has woven itself into our everyday lives with the ability to enhance almost every task we perform," said Georgia State Representative Barbara Sims. "I applaud AT&T's continuing investment in the Metro Augusta area, which is a key to our residents and local businesses staying connected better than ever before."

Nearly 2 years ago, we successfully launched the first AT&T GigaPower metro in Austin, Texas. This launch led to a major expansion in multiple metros beginning in 2014. We recently marked a major milestone deploying the AT&T GigaPower network to more than 1 million locations, and we expect to more than double availability by the end of 2016. 

We’ll continue to roll out our fastest Internet services over a 100% fiber network to reach more than 14 million residential and commercial locations.

AT&T GigaPower gives customers some of the fastest online speeds available anywhere. You  can download 25 songs in less than a second, a TV show in three seconds or your favorite HD movie in less than 36 seconds.

AT&T GigaPower customers also have access to the latest Wi-Fi technology, making it possible to enjoy our best in-home Wi-Fi experience. You get faster Wi-Fi speeds, expanded coverage and support for all your devices.

With DIRECTV now a part of the AT&T family, customers on the AT&T GigaPower network in the Augusta area  will be able to choose between our award-winning DIRECTV or U-verse TV services.

When you sign up for qualified DIRECTV programming, you get immediate access to a broad range of TV content on your compatible mobile device through our DIRECTV application, even before we install your TV service, through our “Walk out Watching” program.

In the home DIRECTV customers with qualified programming have access to more than 315 channels, more than 200 in full-time HD, and the most comprehensive selection of sports programming. You can watch the programming you love, live or On Demand and experience it on almost any screen. DIRECTV On Demand offers access to more than 10,000 movies and shows to high-speed Internet customers with connected set-top boxes, including the hottest new Pay Per View releases.

Customers on the AT&T GigaPower network in markets eligible for AT&T U-verse TV service can watch and record up to 6 HD programs at the same time, and will be able to record and store more of your favorite shows – up to 900 hours of SD or 330 hours of HD programming.

We’re continuing to work with local leaders within the 21 state service area who are interested in expanding the availability of the 100% fiber-optic AT&T GigaPower network to consumers and small businesses.  

Frost & Sullivan recently recognized AT&T for its leadership in high-speed Internet services. It awarded AT&T the 2015 North American Competitive Strategy and Innovation Leadership of the Year Award for Broadband. The analyst firm praised AT&T for its “aggressive pursuit of higher bandwidth access” for customers through its AT&T GigaPower network initiative.

AT&T has served Georgia for more than 136 years and currently employs more than 20,300 people in the state. AT&T invested more than $5.4 billion in Georgia's wireline and wireless networks from 2012 through 2014 to provide Georgia consumers, schools and businesses a complete package of Internet, TV and voice services wrapped in an industry-leading customer experience.

For more information on where the AT&T GigaPower network is and will become available, visit att.com/gigapowermap.