AT&T to Deliver the First All Fiber 1 Gigabit Broadband Network to Austin

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Austin, get ready to binge watch television and download shows in seconds, wipe out your online gaming opponents before they see you coming, and communicate with business associates through a high quality video conference call.

These benefits and more won't be "weird" in Austin as the city gears up for the fastest consumer broadband speeds it's ever seen.

AT&T* (NYSE:T) announced today it has begun deployment of a 100 percent fiber Internet broadband network in Austin that will deliver speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second.  AT&T plans to begin delivering AT&T U-verse® with GigaPower^SM, the city's fastest Internet available to consumers, along with more advanced TV services and features, in December.

"Austin embodies innovation and social consciousness, and is the heart of a vibrant, ever-evolving tech culture and entrepreneurial spirit," said Dave Nichols, President – AT&T Texas.  "With our all-fiber U-verse services, we are building the foundation for a new wave of innovation for Austin's consumers, businesses, and civic and educational institutions.  It's about engaging the full community and empowering the city and its people with all that technology can offer us. This investment will help attract new business and new jobs to Austin."

AT&T's U-verse with GigaPower^SM service will initially reach tens of thousands of customer locations throughout Austin and the surrounding areas this year, with additional local expansion planned in 2014 to reach even more neighborhoods and businesses. 

Austin consumers and business owners are encouraged to vote today at www.att.com/austinfiber to help us identify high customer demand and to influence which neighborhoods AT&T U-verse with GigaPower^SM will expand to in the future.

"This is an exciting time to live and work in Austin.  We currently sit at the cutting edge of technology and this deployment will allow our businesses and residents to work, educate, create, invest, and build at faster speeds," said Mike Rollins, President of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. "Jump-starting the actual construction of GigaPower will add another reason for people to want to do business and innovate in Austin and call Austin home."

AT&T also announced the creation of a new executive position to lead its U-verse with GigaPower^SM initiative and named Dahna Hull to the role – vice president and general manager, Austin, AT&T Services Inc. 

Along with news of the fiber investment, AT&T announced it will work with leaders throughout Austin to discuss how a fiber platform can further the citywide technology ecosystem, driving further innovation to complement the city's progressive technology focus.  

Austin's Advanced AT&T Broadband Experience

AT&T U-verse with GigaPower^SM will offer Austin residents:

• Fastest Internet speeds available to consumers in Austin beginning in December 2013, with plans to reach speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second by mid-2014. With Gigabit speeds, you'll be able to download an HD movie in less than two minutes.**
• The December launch will initially feature symmetrical speeds of up to 300 Mbps, which will be the fastest upstream and downstream Internet speeds available to consumers from any Austin broadband provider.
• Customers who sign-up for 300 Mbps service will upgrade to speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second when available in mid-2014, and at no extra cost.
• Access to cutting-edge TV services that include our most advanced Total Home DVR with more HD TV streams to record and watch multiple shows simultaneously, plus greater DVR storage capacity.
• Faster Wi-Fi speeds and the ability to schedule DVR recordings and watch hit TV shows on more than 30 Smartphones and tablets, as well as your PC.
• U-verse with GigaPower^SM customers that are also AT&T wireless customers will enjoy 50 GB of free cloud storage.

AT&T's U-verse with GigaPower^SM complements its three-year Project Velocity IP (VIP)  investment plan to expand and enhance its wireless and wireline IP broadband networks to support growing customer demand for high-speed Internet access, advanced TV services, and new mobile and cloud services. This year, AT&T plans to invest in the $21 billion range and in the $20 billion range each year in 2014 and 2015.

AT&T has served Austin for more than 134 years and employs more than 2,600 people in the city. Launched in Austin in 2007, AT&T U-verse TV is the fastest growing TV provider in the United States*** and was recently named Frost & Sullivan's Video Company of the Year. AT&T has been recognized by RootMetrics as No. 1 in Austin for strongest call/text/data performance on its wireless network.

More details on U-verse with GigaPower^SM pricing and availability will be announced closer to the December 2013 launch.  For more information, visit www.att.com/austinfiber.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to all AT&T U-verse services.

*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.

**Download speed based on receiving maximum 1Gbps connection speed. Speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on internet factors including site traffic, content provider server capacity, and use of other U-verse services.

*** Claim based on comparison of major TV providers' percentage growth in subscriber counts and national market share data in 2Q2013.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

4G LTE speed claim based on national carriers' average 4G LTE download speeds. Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. 4G LTE availability varies.

Cautionary Language Concerning 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'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.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.