AT&T today announced that it will, for sure, be installing 1 Gigabit fiber network in Austin, Texas. The company had announced in April that it intended to expand U-verse to the city. AT&T is currently deploying the network and intends to begin offering its U-verse service through fiber connections by December.
The announcement is significant because Austin is one of the next cities to get Google Fiber. Google made the announcement back in April as well, and construction on the network is set to begin sometime next year. The Google Fiber network is expected to roll out in Austin sometime in mid-2014.
AT&T has not yet announced pricing for its coming fiber connections in Austin. Its services will “initially” reach tens of thousands of possible customers in Austin and its suburbs. An expansion of the service next year will expand the network even further. Austin residents are being invited to vote on which neighborhoods will see U-verse access first.
“Austin embodies innovation and social consciousness, and is the heart of a vibrant, ever-evolving tech culture and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Dave Nichols, president of 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.”
Nichols’ comments echo those of Google at the time it announced its Google Fiber expansion. AT&T’s U-verse rollout also demonstrates, once again, that Google’s fiber initiative is pushing competition to offer real high-speed broadband.