Want to download a high-definition movie in seconds or Google the Internet for sports and news about as fast as your eye blinks? You may have that capability soon – before the end of this year – and the provider might be AT&T.
The race to be first to bring gigabit-speed Internet access across the Triangle and Triad appears to be AT&T’s to win, not Time Warner Cable or other companies, including Google Fiber that has the Triangle on its possible list of future deployments,
Early Thursday, the North Carolina Next Generation Network consortium confirmed that it is recommending that six city governments approve AT&T’s proposal. (The group has released a full statement explaining its decision.)
AT&T is branding the network as “U-verse with GigaPower.” U-verse is the company’s high-speed Internet, communications and TV/movie entertainment offering that competes directly with Time Warner in the Triangle and Triad markets.
However, the group is not precluding other companies from the project.
“AT&T’s proposal is the only one being recommended for approval at this time but our communities remain active in discussions with other vendors,” Elise Kohn, the program director for the North Carolina Next Generation Network, told WRALTechWire.
“All four universities voted in favor of moving forward with the proposal from AT&T,” Kohn explained. “The universities will not be parties to the agreements that the municipalities are being asked to consider, but the agreements contemplate ongoing cooperation and coordination among all NCNGN members. We anticipate that all of the governing bodies will have had an opportunity to consider the agreement by mid to late May.”
The NCNGN includes N.C. State, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University as well as the cities of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary, Winston-Salem, Carrboro and Durham. The group launched the effort to bring ultra-fast Internet to the Triangle and Triad in January of 2013 after Internet giant Google selected Kansas City for its first fiber optic-based network.
NCNGN worked with the Triangle J Council of Governments to draft a request for proposal that private sector companies could respond to. AT&T did so. The only other company to publicly announce a response was Time Warner Cable.
Kohn explained that AT&T’s response met the wide range of requirements spelled out in the RFP, including free wireless “hot spots” and service to low-income residents.
“In addition to their offer to provide local residents and businesses in all six communities with broadband connection speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, AT&T proposed several community initiatives aimed at increasing access to gigabit connectivity at community centers, helping a number of low-income residents access free or discounted lower speed internet services in their homes, and lowering the costs for small and medium businesses to connect,” Kohn said.
“AT&T also discussed ongoing collaboration with NCNGN members and other local stakeholders to identify innovative ways to maximize the benefits offered by gigabit connectivity. We’re excited about AT&T’s ability to deploy ultra-fast speeds to some residents in most of our communities by the end of the year.”
However, Kohn declined to disclose what companies NCNGN had talked with other than AT&T and Time Warner.
“[T]he status of our discussions with other vendors will remain confidential until an agreement is actually signed,” she said.
AT&T NC President Venessa Harrison hailed the decision by the consortium.
“This is exciting news,” she said in an interview, “but we know this has to be ratified by each of the city and town councils.”
The Triangle and Triad would be among the first areas that land this kind of fast service from AT&T. The communications firm is deploying a fiber optic network in Austin Texas, where it will be in direct competition with Google Fiber.
“We plan to offer U-verse with GigaPower in other markets. Already we offer it in Austin with plans to deploy in Dallas this summer,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “We remain committed to investing in our communities and delivering the technology people want.”
The deployment of U-verse with GigaPower is the latest investment by AT&T in the Triangle. The firm says it spent some $225 million between 2011 and 2013 to upgrade wireline and wireless networks.
Google Fiber representatives have already met with City of Raleigh officials about the possibility of deploying a network.
Meanwhile, Shelby-based RST Fiber already has deployed a state-wide fiber-optic network and says the Triangle will be one of the first market it targets.
Another statewide fiber network, the North Carolina Research and Education Network, is operated by MCNC but it does not service consumers or businesses.
