AT&T Invests in Louisiana Network Resiliency

AT&T announced it is investing tens of millions of dollars to further harden its network in Louisiana against the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms by burying fiber-optic infrastructure previously deployed on poles across some of the hardest-hit areas during Hurricane Ida. Previous reporting indicated that AT&T plans to swap copper for fiber in significantly damaged areas.  The primary focus of the project is work in parts of the Bayou parishes and in and around the New Orleans area, including Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, St Charles, St James, and Terrebonne parishes. The fast-tracked project is targeted for completion in the first half of 2022 with a majority of the work scheduled for completion in 2021. As a result of decades of investment in Louisiana, AT&T's extensive fiber-optic network connects businesses and residents in communities across the state and provides critical backhaul for its wireless network. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, multiple cuts to key fiber-optic lines occurred in storm-impacted areas, and this new initiative will help enhance network resiliency in future storms.