AT&T (NYSE:T) is expanding its Internet footprint in both rural and urban areas in Mississippi via fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fixed wireless technologies.
The company says its AT&T Fiber FTTH service now reaches more than 60,000 locations in Mississippi, including parts of Jackson, Brandon, Flowood, Madison, Byram, Ridgeland and the Biloxi-Gulfport area. Connections approach 1 Gbps, typically 940 Mbps. AT&T Fiber is available in parts of 67 metro areas nationwide, and the company plans to reach at least 82 metro areas by the end of 2018.
As part of its FCC Connect America Fund commitment, AT&T has deployed Internet service to unserved and underserved locations in parts of 61 counties serving more than 70,000 Mississippi locations, primarily through Fixed Wireless Internet. Further expansions are planned for the months ahead. AT&T first deployed fixed wireless service in Mississippi last July. The service is designed to provide downstream speeds of at least 10 Mbps and upstream speeds of at least 1 Mbps.
"The more than 2,800 men and women who work for AT&T and call Mississippi home, are proud to work with our local, state and federal leadership to provide more Internet connectivity to Mississippi's rural residents and businesses throughout our state," said Mayo Flynt, state president of AT&T Mississippi. "With more fiber available and new, innovative broadband services and faster speeds than ever before, we are working to close the connectivity gap across rural Mississippi."