AT&T CEO pilots multi-gig fiber, sees shift to bundled connectivity

AT&T CEO John Stankey revealed the operator is conducting market tests of a multi-gig fiber service and plans to capitalize on an industry shift to bundled connectivity. Stankey stated rising bandwidth demand for use cases like video will require a robust fixed connection and highlighted a positive consumer response to a multi-gig fiber pilot it is running. AT&T Communications CEO Jeff McElfresh previously indicated the operator was interested in pursuing a multi-gig service, stating in June 2021 its network capabilities would allow it to begin offering fiber service tiers beyond 1 Gbps. In a preview of its year-end 2021 results, AT&T revealed it added 270,000 fiber subscribers in Q4 and around 1 million for the full year. Stankey also believes the industry is evolving toward integrated connectivity options, and that AT&T is in a good position to sell unified bundled products across fixed and mobile uses. Most customers, he said, just want to be able to connect to the internet to do the work they need to. And AT&T wants to be the broadband provider regardless of if that’s at home or on the go. He pointed to AT&T’s extensive fiber infrastructure and deep experience in building integrated networks as underpinning a strong position to address the shift to bundled connectivity over the next several years.