RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – There’s a new internet speed leader in the Triangle: AT&T.

Offering speeds via fiber at up to 5 gigabits per second, AT&T launched a new series of broadband plans Monday via its growing fiber-optic network.

The new plans start at 2 gigs which matches the former speed leader: Google Fiber. Greenlight in Wilson also offers up to 2 gigabits via its fiber backbone.

And AT&T says faster speeds are coming, the communications giant saying its engineers have hit 10 gigabits in lab testing.

Raleigh-Durham is one of 70 markets where AT&T are rolling out the faster speeds with prices ranging from $110 for 2 gigabits to $180 for 5 gigabits.

Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington and Winston-Salem also are on the list.

Google Fiber offers 1-gig and 2-6 plans at around $70 and $100.

AT&T prices for slower speeds start at $55 for 300 mbps to 1 gig at $80.

“As we set out to become America’s best connectivity provider, we’re doubling down on fiber in our broadband infrastructure,” said Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, in announcing the new services. “With true multi-gig speeds, and symmetrical upload and download, AT&T Fiber will redefine how we experience the internet and drive innovation, from education, to work, to entertainment.”

Google Fiber rolls out ultra-fast 2 gigabit internet service in Triangle

Why the need for speed?

AT&T says demand for broadband via fiber is growing, in part due to the COVID pandemic which has forced many people to work from home and students to take classes virtually.

Then there’s growing demand for streaming entertainment.

And coming soon: the virtual metaverse.

Speeds were already increasing before Google and AT&T broke the gigabit barrier. According to data from a variety of sources, Triangle internet users get on average download speeds of 73.8 megabits per second in mid-2021. That compared to 37.6 mbps from a year earlier.

Help to bridge digital divide

AT&T also says it will offer discounts to some households.

“AT&T is committed to connecting more Americans to reliable, high-speed broadband internet in several ways, including expanding and upgrading our network and participating in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP),” the company said. “.The ACP provides eligible households with a benefit of up to $30 a month.”

Triangle internet speeds are climbing: 96% improvement since pandemic began

“Multi-gig speeds are primed for these growing demands and will provide more bandwidth for your households and small businesses to run a multitude of connected devices at once. Similar to freeways with several high-speed lanes, multi-gig speeds open those lanes for various connected devices to run at their fastest possible speed,” AT&T explained in its announcement.

News site Cnet sees growing demand for speed.

The multi-gig offerings “makes them more of a forward-looking upgrade for busy homes with lots of connected devices and users, or for anyone keeping an eye on emerging, bandwidth-heavy use cases, including virtual and augmented reality applications,” Cnet says.

Xfinity and Comcast were the speed leaders in some markets at up to 3 gigabit speeds.

Other options

At lower speeds there are numerous options.

Most internet broadband plans start at around 300 megabits per second with several providers such as Ting, CenturyLink and Spectrum offering plans at close to 1 gigabit.

And both Verizon and T-Mobile are touting wireless internet plans up to one gigabit.

But for now, AT&T is the speed king.

For a complete list of cities where AT&T’s new services are available,  read here.