AT&T boosts 75 Mbps U-Verse service availability to 70 markets

AT&T (NYSE: T) is continuing with its 75 Mbps U-verse broadband service tier rollout, announcing that it is bringing it to an additional nine markets in its wireline service territory.

With this latest expansion effort, AT&T now reaches a total of 70 markets with its 75 Mbps U-verse service.

Set to go live this summer, the nine new markets will touch cities across seven states, including Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. 

Users in these areas can access the 75 Mbps tier. However, the service provider emphasized in a blog post that service availability varies in each market. 

Bob Bickerstaff, VP of voice and data products for AT&T, wrote in a blog post that the new speeds are being made available by upgrading its network with a higher frequency signal in its last mile DSLAM equipment.

"We're delivering download speeds that are twice as fast," wrote Bickerstaff. "We upgraded our network with a new 17 MHz signal, which is twice the 8.5 MHz signal previously available."

Similar to earlier market launches it made at the end of 2014 and into this year, introductory prices for the 75 Mbps speed option begins at $39.95 a month when bundled with other U-verse services.

U-verse data continues to be key factor in AT&T's wireline growth strategy. In the first quarter, U-verse data and video growth helped drive consumer revenues to $5.7 billion. U-verse voice, video and data services now represent 69 percent of wireline consumer revenues, up from 59 percent in the year-earlier quarter.

The ongoing buildout of 75 Mbps service also reflects the telco's customer transition from its legacy DSL service to IP. As of the end of the first quarter, AT&T said that it had converted around 80 percent of its subscribers to IP.

For more:
- see this blog post

Related articles:
AT&T hits 60 markets with 75 Mbps U-verse service
AT&T serves up 75 Mbps U-verse broadband speed tier
AT&T extends 75 Mbps U-verse option to 7 new markets
AT&T extends 75 Mbps U-verse tier into six new markets