At&T announced an ambitious plan to provide broadband connectivity to over 300 million people by the end of 2014. By investing $14 billion in both wireline and wireless technology. By investing significant capital into the company's broadband network, AT&T hopes to reach over 96% of all U.S. residents after it executes the new business strategy.
The ambitious AT&T strategy called Project VIP, includes both a wireless and wireline broadband strategy to expand broadband access in rural America. Details of the project include plans to explore the implementation of DSLAMs to increase speeds of current DSL copper-based networks, as well as the expansion of the company's 4G/LTE wireless networks. The strategy comes at a time the company is calling on the FCC to loosen restrictions on legacy networks.
Upgrading legacy copper-based broadband networks using DSL technology to deliver broadband at speeds in the lower range of the spectrum has proved to be challenging for the major broadband providers. Verizon recently made news when it announced plans to replace network infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Sandy with faster fiber-based technology:
Verizon: Fiber Upgrades for Hurricane Damaged Areas
The copper to fiber network upgrades complements storm relief efforts executed by all of the major broadband providers in the affected areas. This includes Verizon, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, and Comcast.
Rebuilding Broadband After Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy Broadband Outages
Hurricane Sandy also prompted the FCC to question the resiliency of broadband networks in the country
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