We all have rediscovered the importance of connections during this pandemic – to the things we care about and the people we love. AT&T has been connecting Americans for more than 140 years, and that mission has never been more critical than it is today.
We believe every American should have access to the internet because connectivity makes the world better. It brings us together – grandparents and grandkids, students and teachers, businesses and customers, content creators and fans. That connectivity is what will continue to enable all of us to live, learn work and play to life’s fullest.
That’s why, building on years of investment in our network and our communities and our decades of innovation, we’re aggressively upgrading our networks to provide the internet access people want – no matter where they live.
Our fiber internet service is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction1, and in 2021 we’re investing in our fiber network to build it out to reach 3 million more residential and business customer locations. This planned expansion is part of our integrated fiber strategy. We plan to expand access in the more than 90 metro areas we currently serve. Bottom line: We’re adding more connections in more communities across the country. New customer locations are coming online every day across the country.
Fiber brings a reliable high-speed connection (with unlimited data and no annual contracts), fast upload and download speeds and added security – all of which are ideal for virtual learning, working from home, telemedicine, online family celebrations and accessing HBO content on AT&T TV. In fact, AT&T Fiber, which is up to 20x faster1 and has up to 80% more bandwidth than cable2, just got a speed boost with the announcement of increased speeds for our entry and mid-level AT&T Fiber plans.
Fiber is the foundation that fuels our networks, which carry an average of more than 450 petabytes of traffic per day. Fiber optic cable boosts home and business broadband speeds and enhances our wireless networks, like AT&T 5G, for robust and high-quality performance – for today and the future. That’s because fiber is the most reliable way to get wireless traffic back to our network core. It helps pave the way for all that our 5G network will deliver – all that come with faster speeds and lower latency. And don’t forget our 4G LTE network, which covers 2.71 million square miles across the country.
As public safety’s network partner, our investment in fiber will also help expand FirstNet® – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders. And more than 16,000 public safety agencies and organizations – accounting for more than 2.2 million connections3 – have turned to FirstNet for its truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it. FirstNet is helping first responders connect to the critical information they need every day and in every emergency.
AT&T is not only making the commitment that goes along with the physical build, we’re also addressing the digital divide, by investing $2 billion over the next 3 years. Because even once the pandemic restrictions begin to ease, our reliance on high-speed connections will grow – no matter where home is or where life takes us.
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.