AT&T Close to Bringing Gigabit Internet to N.C. (PCMagazine)

AT&T is in talks to bring gigabit Internet to parts of the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions.

Web users in North Carolina might soon have the chance to tap into gigabit Internet from AT&T.

The company on Thursday announced that it is in talks with the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) to bring its AT&T U-verse with GigaPower to parts of the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions.

But before service can roll out to Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem, the governing bodies of these six NCNGN member communities must ratify the agreement.

"The chance to deploy the fastest consumer Internet speeds the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions have ever seen shows how dedicated its policymakers and university and business leaders are to bringing the latest technology to the state," Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T North Carolina, said in a statement.

The current plan includes options for public Wi-Fi hotspots, free AT&T U-verse with GigaPower at up to 100 public sites, and an all-fiber network connected to 100 business buildings. It also outlines a free 3 Mbps U-verse high-speed Internet offer for 10 affordable housing complexes, or up to 3,000 homes.

If the plan is approved, AT&T and the NCNGN will decide exactly which public sites, buildings, and apartment complexes will get the gigabit Internet service.

"All of the participants in the NCNGN project are encouraged by AT&T's interest to deliver ultra-fast bandwidth to the Research Triangle and Piedmont regions," said Tracy Futhey, chair of the NCNGN Steering Committee. "This kind of private sector investment is essential to ensure our regions remain competitive and at the forefront of next-generation applications that are important to all sectors of the economy."

This move is part of AT&T's $1.6 billion ongoing efforts to expand its fiber network across the state; it also marks the first time U-verse will be available to Durham residents.

AT&T's biggest competitor in the gigabit Internet space is Google Fiber, which has rolled out in Kansas City, Provo, and Austin. In February, however, Winston-Salem and the Triad were among the nine metro areas that Google teamed up with to investigate whether Google Fiber would be a good option in the region. A final decision on which cities will get Google Fiber is not expected until year's end.

AT&T, meanwhile, was one of eight vendors that responded to a request for proposals from the NCNGN. A deal with AT&T would not be exclusive, and will not preclude discussions that any NCNGN communities have with other vendors, the organization said.

Want gigabit Internet now? Check out the slideshow above, which outlines which cities already offer it.