RALEIGH, N.C., June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- City officials ratified an agreement with AT&T* to bring ultra-fast Internet access to residents and businesses in Raleigh. AT&T will provide U-verse® with GigaPower(SM) over a fiber network with speeds capable of up to 1 gigabit per second.

The agreement stemmed from a North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) initiative. The NCNGN is comprised of six cities, four leading universities, and local business leaders working to encourage development of high-speed broadband networks in the state.

The plan outlines potential fiber deployments to deliver ultra-fast broadband to parts of Raleigh. AT&T U-verse with GigaPower will also deliver advanced TV services and Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than what is available in Raleigh today.**



    How fast is 1 Gigabit?***
    ------------------------

    Download 25 songs in one
     second

    Download your favorite TV
     show in less than 3
     seconds

    Download an HD online movie
     in less than 36 seconds
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"The announcement that AT&T is prepared to deploy gigabit speed Internet service to Greater Raleigh is terrific news for economic development," said Harvey A. Schmitt, president and CEO for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. "It brands Raleigh and our region as the leading edge of a technology revolution. It gives our companies and employees a technology that will spur operational efficiencies. And given our tech savvy population, it will open the door to innovations in products and services heretofore unimagined or not available without significant expense."

This investment by AT&T is in addition to its ongoing investment to expand its fiber network to tens of thousands of North Carolina residents and businesses over the next two years. In addition, similar AT&T U-verse with GigaPower plans, related to the NCNGN initiative, are currently approved in Durham and Winston-Salem, and pending ratification in three other North Carolina areas - Carrboro, Cary, and Chapel Hill.

"We've already received great input from North Carolinians eager for the fastest available speeds," said Venessa Harrison, President, AT&T-North Carolina. "This ultra-fast fiber build will help foster innovation, enhance education, and encourage growth."

Other AT&T initiatives in 2014 include:


    --  Enhance and expand its 4G LTE wireless network, the most reliable
        network in the nation.**** AT&T 4G LTE wireless service is available in
        24 North Carolina markets.
    --  Expand our U-verse footprint to more areas of North Carolina. U-verse is
        currently available in Raleigh, Cary, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Greensboro,
        Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Asheville and surrounding areas.

AT&T invested more than $1.6 billion in its North Carolina wireless and wireline networks between 2011 and 2013. AT&T has served the state of North Carolina for 133 years and employs more than 6,800 people across the state.

AT&T launched AT&T U-verse with GigaPower to thousands of households in Austin, Texas, and surrounding communities in December 2013 and in January announced it will expand the fiber network to double the households in the Austin area this year as a result of high demand that has exceeded expectations. AT&T has plans to expand to Dallas, Texas this summer. In April, AT&T announced it's considering 100 U.S. cities and municipalities for the ultra-fast fiber network.

For more information, visit about.att.com/mediakit/gigapower

* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services. Call or go to www.att.com/u-verse to check availability.
***Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds. Actual customer speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary based on factors including site traffic, content provider server capacity, internal network factors and device capabilities, and use of other U-verse services.
**** Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE not available everywhere.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse(®) brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.