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Delays for proposed faster Internet service in Atlanta?

“We can’t go out and invest that kind of money deploying fiber to 100 cities not knowing under what rules those investments will be governed," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was quoted as telling investors, according to Reuters.

Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Credit: GETTY IMAGES

“We can’t go out and invest that kind of money deploying fiber to 100 cities not knowing under what rules those investments will be governed," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was quoted as telling investors, according to Reuters.
By Matt Kempner
Nov 12, 2014

Metro Atlanta communities in line for super-fast Internet connections promised by AT&T may have to wait longer.

AT&T's chief executive said Wednesday that the company will delay deployment of the gigabit-per-second speeds until it clarifies the ramifications of President Obama's call for regulation of how Internet providers manage online traffic, according to Reuters.

AT&T announced last month that it would install the fast fiber to homes inside the city limits of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Decatur and Newnan. It was the first broad promise in metro Atlanta for residential speeds 100 times faster than average for American homes.

But AT&T never disclosed when it would start rolling out such service to those communities. That leaves it unclear exactly how much the local plans might be impacted by CEO Randall Stephenson’s recent comments.

A local AT&T spokesman was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

Reuters reported that Stephenson told investors, “We can’t go out and invest that kind of money deploying fiber to 100 cities not knowing under what rules those investments will be governed.”

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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