AT&T could be bringing super-fast Internet service to your area — maybe, at some point
in the future.
The company announced Monday it's looking to expand its U-verse with GigaPower broadband
service to 21 metro markets around the country like Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco, though
there's no word on a timeframe or a cost.
The service currently boasts speeds of 300 Megabits per second, though there are plans
to bring that up to 1 Gigabit later this year.
"Crazy!"
"It's kind of blowing my mind."
The service is currently only available in Austin, Texas.
(Via AT&T)
AT&T's Gigapower rivals Google Fiber, the Gigabit broadband service the web giant rolled
out in 2012.
It's currently available in Kansas City, Provo, Utah, and, in a few months' time, Austin.
AT&T's announcement only said it's eyeing expanding its service to those 21 metros,
so residents shouldn't get too excited just yet.
The company says it wants to discuss expansion with local governments first.
Ars Technica says those talks will likely mean asking ​"communities to provide expedited
permitting and easy access to utility poles and other infrastructure."
Back when Google first announced its Fiber service, one of the stated goals was to increase
competition in the Internet service provider market.
AT&T says its new foray into Gigabit speeds had nothing to do with Google, but let's look
at the timing: Monday's expansion announcement comes one month after Google said pretty much
the same thing.
AT&T also managed to beat Google to the punch in Austin by a few months, even though Google
was the first to announce plans to build its service there.
Oh, and there are rumors Google might try its hand as a wireless provider.
Can we call this a rivalry yet?
(Via The Information)
This kind of high-speed service takes quite a while to get off the ground, so whether
you're rooting for Google or AT&T, odds are we won't see any more cities get Gigabit service
from the two companies until at least 2015.