AT&T is doubling down on fiber and 5G investments as it transitions to a software-driven, converged network architecture. According to the company’s 2024 annual report, AT&T is executing one of the largest fiber and wireless rollouts in the U.S., focusing its capital on expanding high-capacity broadband infrastructure, modernizing network operations with AI and virtualization, and decommissioning legacy copper systems. The company reported having 9.3 million fiber consumer broadband subscribers at year-end, adding 1 million in 2024 alone. Total broadband connections stood at 15.3 million, with fiber representing a growing share of the mix. Meanwhile, AT&T aims to reach approximately 60 million fiber locations by 2030 .
The company’s capital expenditures remain focused on high-return infrastructure. AT&T continued deploying C-Band and 3.45 GHz spectrum to support its 5G network, now covering over 314 million people in the U.S. In 2024, it also began a nationwide Open RAN rollout in partnership with Ericsson, targeting 70% of wireless traffic on open-capable platforms by late 2026. This initiative is expected to improve operational flexibility, reduce vendor lock-in, and enable a more programmable network. These efforts complement AT&T’s migration of wireline broadband and voice customers from copper to fiber, supported by a virtualized network core aligned with SDN and NFV principles .
Subscriber growth remains strong in both wireless and broadband segments. The Mobility business ended 2024 with 118 million U.S. subscribers, including 73 million postpaid phone customers. Postpaid churn dropped to 0.76%, and ARPU rose due to pricing actions. In fiber, AT&T added over 1 million net customers, though that growth slowed slightly year-over-year. Business wireline continues to decline, but AT&T is targeting small-to-midsize enterprise segments with fiber to offset losses. Additionally, its fixed wireless product, AT&T Internet Air, is being deployed in regions where fiber buildouts are not yet feasible .
• Fiber broadband base grew to 9.3 million customers in 2024
• 5G covers 314 million people; LTE covers over 336 million in the U.S.
• Open RAN rollout with Ericsson aims for 70% traffic coverage by 2026
• Mobility business ended 2024 with 118 million U.S. subscribers
• Copper decommissioning continues; DSL base fell below 130,000
“Our focus is to aggregate the most traffic on the largest, lowest marginal cost, converged network,” AT&T stated in its 2024 filing, emphasizing its shift toward scalable, virtualized infrastructure that supports AI, streaming, and future connectivity demands.
