Towns Start to Realize AT&T's Gigabit Fiber Promises Are Hollow Last week we noted how AT&T has effectively conned the press into believing the telecom giant is engaged in a massive gigabit fiber to the home build, despite the fact that the company's CAPEX and fixed-line network investment budget continues to drop. In reality, AT&T's singling out high-end developments and universities (where fiber is already in the ground) for highly selective gigabit service, then declaring an entire market "launched."

The resulting, gushing press lets the company appear to be keeping pace with operations like Google Fiber and municipal broadband options. But when customers in these "launched" markets actually try to sign up for service, they'll often find themselves disappointed. Case in point is Gaston County, North Carolina, where AT&T loudly announced it had launched gigabit service back in August. As we've seen in so many markets however, locals there are increasingly confused as to why they don't qualify for service, a question AT&T (for obvious reasons) doesn't want to clearly answer: quote: So exactly where is it available now? And why at this house, but not that one? And how long might it take to extend elsewhere? AT&T isn’t providing those types of answers. "Our network is a complex organism,” AT&T spokesman Josh Gelinas said. ...Gelinas said there’s no quick and easy explanation for why the fiber-optic connection is already in place in some specific addresses, but not others. AT&T doesn’t want to get into discussions about where it has existing fiber-optic corridors, he said. “Part of what drives the expansion is where we already have our existing network in place and where it makes good business sense to expand,” he said. And, when you're actually trimming your fixed-line broadband investment budget year after year, the places "where it makes good business sense to expand" are the places it costs virtually no money to connect. AT&T insiders familiar with AT&T's Gigapower deployment plans tell me that for many Gigapower markets, "launched" can quite literally mean just a few homes in a development community on a hill. And, when you're actually trimming your fixed-line broadband investment budget year after year, the places "where it makes good business sense to expand" are the places it costs virtually no money to connect. AT&T insiders familiar with AT&T's Gigapower deployment plans tell me that for many Gigapower markets, "launched" can quite literally mean just a few homes in a development community on a hill. Privately, AT&T techs often candidly tell customers the same thing: their chances of ever getting gigabit fiber are slim to none. That's not to say AT&T's not working hard in a handful of areas where competition has forced their hand. There's certainly select pockets -- like Austin and the North Carolina triangle -- where AT&T can quite visibly be seen working hard to keep pace with Google Fiber and municipal broadband deployments. But by and large Gigapower remains a hollow show pony in the majority of less competitive AT&T broadband markets, propped up by AT&T math (TM) and an easily duped press. And cherry picking the most lucrative locations for fiber all makes sense from a business perspective, though it's important to remember AT&T and Verizon alone have received enough federal and state subsidies over the last few decades to wire the entire country with fiber to the home several times over (sadly nobody's done an audit, and with the two companies' collective political power, nobody ever will). Again, the company's paying for it. Again, the company's dropping CAPEX and investment budget numbers (already dominated by wireless) are the tell tale sign that AT&T's gigabit deployment is a tiny fraction of the size it's being portrayed as in marketing materials. You'll know AT&T is serious about gigabit fiber for "up to 100" markets when earnings reports and filings show it's actuallyfor it.







News Jump WISPs Get CBRS Range As Great As Six Miles At 100 Mbps Speeds; Windstream Officially Exits Bankruptcy; + more news Charter Relaunches Free 60-day Internet And Wi-Fi Offer; NCTA: FCC Should Stick With 25/3 Speed Threshold; + more news Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 68 comments

smk11

join:2014-11-12 17 recommendations smk11 Member ATT fiber = new coat of paint before the sale ATT's fiber plans are nothing more than to get public and regulatory approval to dump their copper. Verizon gave away FL, TX, and CA. What was the reaction? "Verizon sells off FiOS networks in FL, TX, CA" not "Verizon dumps worthless copper lines in FL, TX, CA." ATT is just preparing for the the same. etaadmin

join:2002-01-17

united state 15 recommendations etaadmin Member Confusion is good... for at&t



1. The most important, control the number of defections to cable ISPs... sorry I love this link »



2. Remain in the news and remain relevant by announcing new cities neighborhoods/city blocks every month.



3. Give the public the impression that at&t is a cutting edge company when they are not. When it comes to internet service at&t is a copper based company living in the 19th century and all these pseudo gigapower markets is just a facade.



Money is the only thing that at&t understands, if many in un-upgraded markets switch to Google fiber or cable DOCSIS3.x or muni fiber at&t will get the message and instead of giving customers false hope or lied to they will get off their @sses and get something real done. The lack of availability details serve several purposes:1. The most important, control the number of defections to cable ISPs... sorry I love this link » arstechnica.com/business ··· cribers/ 2. Remain in the news and remain relevant by announcing newneighborhoods/city blocks every month.3. Give the public the impression that at&t is a cutting edge company when they are not. When it comes to internet service at&t is a copper based company living in the 19th century and all these pseudo gigapower markets is just a facade.Money is the only thing that at&t understands, if many in un-upgraded markets switch to Google fiber or cable DOCSIS3.x or muni fiber at&t will get the message and instead of giving customersthey will get off their @sses and get something real done. LowRider

join:2006-06-23

Dallas, GA 8 recommendations LowRider Member Correct me if I'm wrong... I remember years ago when they started to roll out dsl and uverse they were just passing homes. Seems the same thing is happening, is anyone really surprised? samo300

Premium Member

join:2009-03-28

Suwanee, GA 7 recommendations samo300 Premium Member GigaPower I live in a subdivision that was built in 2006 and ATT turned on U-Verse this week. I had my install today and cancelled Charter Cable. Love it so far. The Engineer

join:2015-04-02

Munster, IN 6 recommendations The Engineer Member Totally makes sense to me They're upgrading homes that already have fiber in the ground. Makes total sense. If you're a FTTP customer but can only get 45 meg service, you're chomping at the bit to get upgraded. I'd be pissed if they were extending the service rather than upgrading existing FTTP customers.



Being a FTTN customer, I'm more interested in them rolling out N cards to more fridges than Gigapower, which I know will be decades before I get it.

Nuckfuts

Premium Member

join:2003-10-18

Joliet, IL 4 recommendations Nuckfuts Premium Member Surrounded I am surrounded by FTTP subdivisions and there is no word on fiber being run here and there are many uverse customers in this FTTN subdivision. Who knows but we knew their "promises" were B.S. Comon!! DMS1

join:2005-04-06

Plano, TX 4 recommendations DMS1 Member Google Fiber vs. Gigapower What I would really like to see is a true comparison between Google Fiber and Gigapower for both number of houses passed and number of actual customers. AT&T is taking a load of flack, which may or may not be justified, whereas Google are apparently heroes. I'm intrigued as to how valid this attitude actually is.