By Sheldon S. Shafer of The Courier-Journal
AT&T has launched ultrafast Internet service in limited parts of the metro Louisville area, with more neighborhoods soon to follow in getting ultrafast download speeds.
AT&T officials will provide details of its 100 percent fiber network service — under a program it calls AT&T FiberSWM — at a news conference Tuesday morning at the Louisville Science Center.
AT&T spokeswoman Cathy Lewandowski said information on how many customers can get the ultrafast Internet service and on what schedule will probably be disclosed at the news briefing.
Initially a total of about 80 apartment and condominium complexes and businesses are eligible to be hooked into the network, officials said.
A news release said that AT&T also intends “to expand access to ultrafast internet speeds in parts of Jeffersonville and New Albany, Ind., in the future.”
The Louisville area is one of 67 metro areas that AT&T is launching its fastest Internet service.
“We now market our ultrafast service to over 3 million locations, of which over 500,000 include apartments and condo units. In the Louisville area, there are nearly 80 apartments and condo units on our 100 percent fiber network,” the AT&T release said, adding that the company is “on track to exceed the 12.5 million locations planned by mid-2019.”
The launching of the service by AT&T comes as a competitor, Google Fiber, continues to assess Louisville for an ultrafast Broadband network, and Time Warner Cable, now part of the Comcast organization, also has pledged to upgrade Internet speeds.
“The announcement that AT&T’s ultra-fast 100 percent fiber Internet is coming to Louisville is exactly the type of investment that will keep Louisville at the forefront, as we look to drive economic development and job creation here in the city,” said Kent Oyler, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce and the leading local pro-business advocate.
“Residents and businesses alike benefit from high-speed connection and the speeds that will be available through this all fiber-optic network will position not only Jeffersontown but, all of Jefferson County, as we continue to drive economic development and job creation in our area,” said Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf, president of the Jefferson County League of Cities. The league coordinates issues of interest to the more than 80 suburban incorporated cities in Jefferson County.
“AT&T is committed to extending access to ultrafast Internet in the Louisville area, because our customers are increasingly interacting with their world in more data-intensive ways,” said Hood Harris, president, AT&T Kentucky. “A growing number of people are streaming content directly from their devices, and interacting with family and friends through live videos.”
Internet-only pricing for customers who choose AT&T Internet 1000, the company’s fastest speed tier on the 100 percent fiber network, starts as low as $90 a month. Internet customers on the 100 percent fiber network have access to the latest Wi-Fi technology.
With internet speeds 20 times faster than the average cable customer, users will be able to download 25 songs in 1 second, or a 90-minute HD movie in less than 34 seconds.
Customers will also be able to instantly access and stream online movies, music, and games. “With these ultra-fast speeds, customers can seamlessly perform tasks like telecommuting, video-conferencing, uploading and downloading photos and videos, connect faster to the cloud and more,” the AT&T news release said.
The 100 percent fiber network under the AT&T Fiber umbrella brand gives customers the power to choose from a wide range of internet speeds over an ultrafast Internet connection.
