AT&T ‘Velocity’ project nearly doubles broadband speed in Raleigh, Charlotte, Triad

“AT&T’s Project Velocity IP (VIP)” means much faster Internet service for its U-verse customers.

The three-year investment plan, which was announced last fall, has now reached North Carolina.

Facing increasing competition for high-speed net users, AT&T’s U-verse Internet and TV service now offers download speeds up to 45 megabits and upload potential to 6 megabits.

The increase in speed is part of some $250 million that AT&T has invested alone in the Raleigh area over the past three years, says AT&T spokesperson Josh Gelinas.

AT&T’s longer-range plan is to provide 100 mbps downloads, he added.

The faster service is available in Raleigh, Charlotte and the Triad.

The news come as organizers in North Carolina mull proposals for a possible 1 gigabit speed network in the Triangle and parts of the Triad. That project is called the North Carolina Next Generation Network.

Time Warner Cable, which also provides high-speed Internet access across much of North Carolina, has disclosed that it is among the firms which responded to the North Carolina network request for proposal.

AT&T recently announced plans to increase Internet broadband speeds in Austin, Texas, where Google plans one of its “Google Fiber” giganet projects.

Current AT&T download capability is 24 mbps and upload is 3 mbps.

“This is our next step in our Project VIP investment plan, and we’re proud to bring customers faster speeds, for a great value,” said Carlos Sanchez, AT&T’s director of External Affairs in North Carolina . “The vast majority of our customers bundle U-verse Internet and TV because it gives them a better experience, with faster speeds that fit their needs, at an affordable price. We look forward to bringing wired IP services and faster speeds to more customers in the future.”

The faster speeds are available for $50 per month over two years when bundled with other services. AT&T describes the price as “introductory.”

According to the U-verse website, AT&T’s regular charge for the 45 mbps service is $70 per month. The regular price for the 24 mbps service is $60.

Current U-verse subscribers can upgrade to the faster speeds and receive a discount off the new service for the next 12 months.

Faster AT&T Markets

Faster speeds are available in numerous other AT&T markets as well. The list: