Fast and Furious

AT&T is expanding its ultra-fast fiber network to 100 cities nationwide.

The fiber network will deliver AT&T’s U-verse at broadband speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second. Just how fast is that? At that speed, in one second, you could download 25 songs. In three seconds, you could download an episode of your favorite TV show. And in 36 seconds, you could download an entire HD movie.

AT&T’s network build-out is “world changing, as more communities come on line with fiber networks that are 100 times faster than what they have today,” said CWA President Larry Cohen.  

“This is what fast means. It will be great for our members and overall employment, will accelerate business and economic development, provide for new and not-yet-realized services, make state-of-the-art television and other services available to consumers, and help the U.S. regain its place as a leader in true high-speed accessibility,” he said.   

For more than eight years, CWA’s “Speed Matters” campaign has pushed for the expansion of true high-speed fiber networks in the U.S. as necessary to keep pace with economic growth, job creation and global competition.  Speed matters on the Internet, and CWA has been calling for policies to promote faster Internet speeds and higher capacity networks. 

Until now, companies have focused their high-speed build outs in smaller metropolitan areas.

AT&T's announcement is a big step towards laying cables that customers need to tap into the Web across the country. We're finally inching closer to national, affordable high-speed Internet access for everyone.