CWA calls out AT&T's lack of fiber in its DSL footprint

On the heels of AT&T saying it will no longer take new orders for its DSL service, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) criticized its lack of fiber.  According to a report CWA did in conjunction with the National Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), AT&T has deployed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) to 28% of the households in its footprint as of the end of June. By contrast, the report said AT&T has targeted more affluent, non-rural areas for its fiber upgrades. Houses with fiber have a median income that's 34% higher than those with DSL only. Across the rural counties in AT&T's 21-state footprint, 5% have access to fiber, according to the report. 14.93 million—out of almost 53 million households—have access to AT&T's fiber service. Among states, AT&T's FTTH build out is the lowest in Michigan with 14% have access followed by Mississippi (15%) and Arkansas (16%). The report also said there were many areas in AT&T's footprint where it doesn't offer the Federal Communications Commission's standard of 25 Mbps on the downstream and 3 Mbps on the upstream.