AT&T targets fiber internet for 60 million Americans by 2030
AT&T announced a multi-year, $3 billion agreement with Corning on Tuesday to supply the fiber-optic cable needed to expand its network and meet rising household data demand.
The telecommunications company said the agreement is designed to support its stated goal of providing fast and reliable internet service to 60 million Americans by the end of 2030. The companies said the average AT&T fiber household now uses more than one terabyte of data each month, up fivefold from a decade ago, with monthly consumption expected to keep climbing as streaming, gaming, video calls, cloud services and artificial intelligence take a larger role in daily life.
“Fiber’s speed, reliability and capacity remain unmatched for any home or business,” AT&T Chief Executive John Stankey said, adding that the company looks forward to continuing its work with Corning as it expands its network.
The companies said fiber is the only technology capable of meeting the rising demand, noting the medium can quickly and reliably carry everything from movie streaming to AI tools.
The agreement echoes a multi-billion-dollar deal Verizon and Corning announced earlier this month. Under the Verizon arrangement, the two companies said they will deploy more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber across the U.S. over the coming five years to address surging demand for consumer broadband and converged services.