AT&T launched its “GigaPower” all-fiber Internet network in Austin, Texas.
The service features initial speeds of up to 300 Mbps, although AT&T expects to upgrade the performance to 1 Gbps + in 2014.
“Our all-fiber network enables U-verse with GigaPower to give Austinites the fastest speeds available to consumers in the city,” said Dahna Hull, AT&T’s vice president and general manager for Austin. “With U-verse with GigaPower, our customers can download movies and music and navigate, post and interact on the web faster than ever before, and have one of the best TV experiences around. It’s reliable, crazy fast and priced to attract more and more people to give us a try.”
In addition to fast Internet, the service offers interactive TV services including a 1 terabyte of storage DVR and the ability to watch and record five shows at the same time.
AT&T will have two U-verse with GigaPower Internet offers:
- Premier: Internet speeds up to 300 Mbps for $70 per month, includes waiver of equipment, installation and activation fees. Customers who also select U-verse TV will receive free HBO, HBO GO for 36 months, and HD service for $120 per month with qualifying TV services.
- Standard: Internet speeds up to 300 mbps – download your favorite TV show in less than nine seconds² – for $99 per month.
In April 2013, Google announced that Austin, Texas will be the next Google Fiber city.
Two years after launching the first Google Fiber project in Kansas City, Google confirmed its intention to bring a similar network to Austin by mid-2014.
Google provides a free 5-7 Mbps data service to residents who pay the upfront fiber connection fee. Service plans then scale up to symmetric Gigabit connectivity ($70 per month). A separate Google Fiber TV service now offers nearly 200 HD TV channels.
