Editor’s note: What AT&T’s U-verse with GigaPower network is providing in Austin, Texas, will soon be coming to the Triangle as part of the North Carolina Next Generation Network. And Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T North Carolina, tells WRAL TechWire’s Fiber Transforms the Triangle conference that faster speeds will bring many opportunities for consumers as well as businesses. Her remarks as delivered Monday at SAS:

Good morning! … and thank you for joining us today as we talk about the opportunities that fiber is bringing to the Triangle.

We’re excited about the possibilities fiber-enhanced speeds will open up for technology, innovators and businesses … and for consumers… who want faster speeds for a wide variety of applications … surfing, shopping, gaming, social networking, business transactions and more.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the availability and demand for higher speeds.

For example, the National Telecommunications and Information Association reports there was a 30 percent increase in broadband availability at the 25 Mbps and 50 Mbps speed tiers nationwide from 2010 to 2012.

And, at AT&T, we’ve seen our customers migrate to our latest and greatest technology. In 2011, about 60 percent of consumers used legacy services. Now, about 70 percent are on the U-verse … or IP … network.

Based on these trends, we took a leadership role in being one of the first companies to launch an all-fiber network capable of delivering speeds up to 1 gigabit per second to consumers and small businesses.

Our first market was in Austin, Texas. We launched in December 2013 and the response has been incredible.

To date, U-verse with AT&T GigaPower has launched to tens of thousands of customer locations across the Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth markets.

Just the beginning

With the launch success we experienced in Austin we knew this was just the beginning.

As we were working on the Austin project, the opportunity came to be part of the North Carolina Next Generation Network initiative.

It was an opportunity which excited and intrigued us… because AT&T is committed to investing in our nation to bring Americans the most advanced communications technologies.

Just last month the Progressive Policy Institute named AT&T the top company for U.S. capital expenditures… for the third year in a row.

Together, the top 25 companies invested approximately $152 billion into the U.S. economy in 2013, with AT&T alone investing more than $20 billion.

From 2008-2013, AT&T has invested more in the U.S. economy than any other public company … $119 billion.

Consumer demand for newer technologies is growing exponentially. For example, data usage on our network has grown more than 50,000 percent in the past six years.

Our investment in expanding and enhancing our communication networks will help to meet that demand and fuel economic growth.

So we were thrilled when the Next Generation Networks team chose us to be part of this exciting effort.

The NCNGN decision

Since we’ve announced that we will be deploying the AT&T GigaPower network in the Triangle, and elsewhere in North Carolina, I’ve been asked what drove the decision.

Before deciding where to invest capital … or to bid on a project like the NCNGN … any business weighs many factors … including local customer demand.

But one of the tipping points in our decision was the business-friendly, pro-investment climate of this state and this region.

For many years, North Carolina policymakers at both the state and local levels have worked diligently to continually update statutes and regulations governing the communications industry.

The changes have reflected the evolving nature of technology and the industry, while encouraging competition and ongoing investment.

The initiative and leadership shown by the Mayors and the Councils of the Next Generation cities are a good example.

We knew from experience that these leaders … and the City staffs … understand the importance of an advanced communications infrastructure … both for today and for the future.

We knew the cities believe in encouraging investment … by existing and new businesses alike… without playing favorites.

So when we began considering the opportunity to partner with NCNGN and bring the AT&T GigaPower network to residents and small businesses in Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh and Winston-Salem … we didn’t ask the cities to complete homework assignments or questionnaires about infrastructure or policies. We didn’t ask for exclusive incentives. We didn’t need to.

We were excited to be chosen and I’m even more excited to report that the finish line to offer more North Carolinians a fiber broadband network … capable of speeds up to 1 gigabit per second … is in sight.

In addition to the six NCNGN cities where we have announced commitments, we have also announced our plans to bring the AT&T GigaPower network to Charlotte and Greensboro.
U-verse with AT&T GigaPower delivers an ultra-fast fiber network technology with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, allowing you to do more and do it faster.

U-verse with AT&T GigaPower customers will also have access to cutting-edge TV services.

As we get closer to launch, we’ll have more information to share regarding timing, pricing and how GigaPower customers can enjoy additional savings when they bundle services with new and existing AT&T wireless accounts.

But for now, I hope you’re as excited as we are about how this fiber network will transform the Triangle!