AT&T broadens reach of NC Next Generation Network

AT&T is expanding the reach of its fiber broadband network across North Carolina, and a key driver remains the North Carolina Next Generation Network. As part of its commitment to that project, AT&T provides free Internet access to a growing number of community centers and low income housing.

In winning the support of major universities and municipal governments across the Triangle and Triad for the NC NGN (pronounced “engine”) two years ago, AT&T promised to take Internet to a number of underserved neighborhoods.

Josh Gelinas, a spokesperson for AT&T in North Carolina, tells WRAL TechWire that the NGN now includes 10 affordable housing complexes in the Triangle.

Those include:

Town of Chapel Hill

Airport Gardens
Colony Woods West
Pritchard
Caldwell Church
North Columbia
Rainbow Heights
Eastwood
South Estes

City of Raleigh

Walnut Terrace
Stonybrook

Internet access at 1 gigabit or more in speed also is now available at “more than 10 community centers,” Gelinas notes.

NC NGN is a core component of AT&T’s strategy in deploying its GigaPower network. And the communications giant is building out aggressively as more competitors such as Frontier Communications, CenturyLink, and others roll out their own services. Building out as well yet not deploying service yet is Google Fiber.

MCNC, meanwhile, has its own plans for expanding the reach of the state’s first coast-to-mountain fiber network.

“We working to double our footprint in North Carolina during next several years,” Gelinas says.

“We’re running the Internet speed race as fast as possible (we’re pretty confident in our position out front), and we’re not focused on looking to our sides to see who might be trying to catch up. We’re rapidly expanding faster internet service over wired and wireless technology to keep our customers connected.

“We welcome anyone interested in joining our broader efforts to bring high-speed internet service to those who need it.”

GigaPower is now available in parts of: