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AT&T Pushing its Own Fiber in Louisville After Blocking Google's

As we noted last week, AT&T has decided to sue to slow Google Fiber's expansion into Louisville. Specifically, AT&T is upset that Louisville streamlined the pole attachment process in the city, reducing the pole attachment process from the usual six months -- to one. AT&T owns about 40% of the poles in Louisville, and has argued that only the Kentucky Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications Commission have the authority to change pole attachment rules.

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But the delay does have an obvious benefit for AT&T: it gives the company some extra time to prepare its own gigabit offering (or lock down un-upgraded DSL customers into long-term contracts). As such, AT&T is now pushing its own gigabit fiber solution in two east-end Louisville neighborhoods, a first for the city:
quote:
AT&T has notified two Jeffersontown-area subdivisions – Silver Oaks and Landherr Estates – that the company will soon be working in the rights of way, including some digging, to install fiber-optic lines.

Joe Burgan, an AT&T spokesman, confirmed that the homeowners associations of those subdivisions recently got letters from the company, but he was unable to say if there are other neighborhoods getting the service, nor to provide a comprehensive list.


If you've followed AT&T's deployment of its gigabit "Gigapower" service you know that refusing to clarify just how many people can (or will be able to) get the service is kind of the company's MO. That's quite often because in many "launched" gigabit markets we're only talking about a few housing developments. But with Google promising to deploy fiber to entire counties, AT&T's promising that its Louisville build won't just be a few key areas:
quote:
AT&T’s Harris could not say exactly how broad GigaPower’s coverage will be in Louisville, but it's not just newer subdivisions with underground utilities that will get it, he said.

“I can tell you, the ones (neighborhoods) we’re in now – they’re not the first and they’re not going to be the last,” Harris told WDRB on Thursday. “We’re committed to do a lot of work here to put this product out for consumers."
Granted if AT&T were entirely confident in its own offering, it wouldn't be suing to stop Google Fiber. As for pricing, just the mere threat of Google Fiber forces AT&T's hand, with the company's Gigapower gigabit service starting at $110 in markets where Google Fiber isn't -- and $70 a month where Google Fiber is (or will be). Just remember if you want to opt out of AT&T's deep packet inspection snoopvertising, you may have to pay a $60 per month premium.

Most recommended from 48 comments



kea808
@hawaiiantel.com

18 recommendations

kea808

Anon

Competition

Isn't competition great!
alexintexas
join:2003-01-11
San Antonio, TX

14 recommendations

alexintexas

Member

Who seriously gives a .......

ATT will deploy "fiber" to exactly how many, 1 2 3 thousand? what a true f'in joke

ATT you should of taken that $38 Bil and invested in a true HARD-LINEnetwork not a BS satellite company........
Exile714
join:2015-08-19

13 recommendations

Exile714

Member

ATT Doesn't Actually Want Customers

I'm not really sure what ATT's game is, but it seems convincing people they have customers without actually having customers.
Case in point: I live in San Antonio where Googe Fiber is imminent. ATT ran fiber from the Main Street across telephone poles through one neighborhood (22 homes) and into a subdivision with exactly 2 houses. Those 2 houses get Gigapower, the 22 which have the fiber directly overhead have nothing (not even DSL, or cable).
So, basically, ATT overlooked 22 homes which cannot get cheaper to install service for. Why? Because they are actively trying to AVOID having customers.
There has to be some crazy Wall Street logic to all this, but for the life of me I can't figure out why you would actively seek to exclude easy-to-reach customers. But for some reason, this game includes convincing people that they actually want customers.

karlmarx
join:2006-09-18
Moscow, ID

12 recommendations

karlmarx

Member

The true benefit of google fiber

Lets be honest. 1gb/1gb for $70.00 is great for most dslreport users. But, we are the exception, not by any means 'standard'. The vast majority of people would be well server with just 100/100. But that's not the true benefit of google fiber. The real benefit can be summed up in one word. CAPS. There, I said it, the fact that google fiber is uncapped is the biggest benefit for everyone. I'm in chattanooga, I have 1gb/1gb for $70.00 a month. The only competition is comcast (Well, DSL is still around, but that's pretty much dead). What shocked me the most about comcast, is they STILL imposed their caps on their 150/25, they STILL charge more ($140.00, or twice the price for 10% of the speed.
It's become very clear that comcast has written off the area. Sure, it's only 250K people, but, once EPB starts expanding to surrounding communities, that number will rise higher and higher. Comcast could EASILY compete on price and speed with docsis 3.1. But, they won't. The reason is can be summed up again in one word. "shareholders". The shareholders heads would explode if the revenue per user were to drop in any way, manner or form. You do realize, comcast really doesn't NEED to raise the price every year. Their costs are about the same year over year, but in order to make the greedy shareholders happy, they have to show a continuous growth in revenue. That's it, that's really the ONLY number comcast cares about.
The problem comcast and AT&T and the others are facing isn't a 'speed war' with google, it's a price war. And it's a war the fat cats will not win. ever. Google, EPB, and many muni providers have proven that it's entirely possible to make a profit charging 25% of what the incumbents charge.
Like the railroads in the 1800's, where just a few big companies controlled most of the rails, the entire house of cards the megacorps have built will come crashing down, sooner, rather than later. I for one, cheer for that day.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

9 recommendations

Msradell

Premium Member

How far will they go?

That's the big question. I'm sure AT&T is selectively picking the low hanging fruit so they can say they have FTTH, ATA Gigapower in place and operating. This is especially important to them since it seems quite likely that Google will be coming to Louisville with Google Fiber. They shown in the past that even in areas where they installed fiber AT&T doesn't do a widespread installation in the entire area, they just selectively install it.

TIGERON
join:2008-03-11
Boston, MA

8 recommendations

TIGERON

Member

what a pathetic joke

And how many deployments will Louisville be seeing? oh I forgot, AT&T is refusing to divulge exactly how many people will be seeing actual fiber. More fiber to the press.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

2 recommendations

tmc8080

Member

sure

... because more expensive ATT monopoly fiber is better than cheaper google fiber, right?