AT&T has expanded internet service in communities throughout Mississippi, which ranks dead last in internet access due to the lack of availability in rural areas. 

Working primarily with fixed wireless internet service, which offers high-speed access with download speeds of at least 10Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1Mbps, AT&T’s internet services can be found in “unserved and underserved locations in parts of 61 counties serving more than 70,000 Mississippi locations,” according to a press release.

Parts of rural areas in the following 61 counties in Mississippi are now eligible for this high-speed Internet service from AT&T:

Adams, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Carroll, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Montgomery, Neshoba, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tallahatchie, Tate, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo. 

“In addition to our work reaching out to largely rural areas, we have also expanded our 100% fiber network powered by AT&T Fiber to now reach more than 60,000 locations in Mississippi, including parts of Jackson, Brandon, Flowood, Madison, Byram, Ridgeland and the Biloxi–Gulfport area,” according to the press release.

“With connections approaching 1 gigabit³ per second, customers can download 25 songs in 1 second or your favorite 90-minute HD movie in less than 34 seconds.“

Said Mayo Flint, president of AT&T Mississippi: “The more-than 2,800 men and women who work for AT&T and call Mississippi home, are proud to work with our local, state and federal leadership to provide more internet connectivity to Mississippi’s rural residents and businesses throughout our state.

“With more fiber available and new, innovative broadband services and faster speeds than ever before, we are working to close the connectivity gap across rural Mississippi.”

Sen. Roger Wicker says the expansion is a crucial step in closing the “digital divide” that has held back the state for so long.

“The expansion of fiber networks and better broadband service is essential to our state’s economic future and the quality of life for those who live here,” Wicker said.

AT&T plans to reach at least 82 metros with high-speed internet access by the end of 2018 and at least 12.5 million locations by mid-2019.

Connect America Fund Deployment:

AT&T has extended high-speed internet as part of its FCC Connect America Fund commitment to help predominantly rural areas. As part of that commitment, AT&T began offering high-speed internet to over 440,000 locations across 18 states last year, and will expand that offer to more than 1.1 million locations nationwide by the end of 2020, many getting access to high-speed internet for the first time. In Mississippi, AT&T is committed to serving more than 133,000 locations through this program across the state, primarily through Fixed Wireless Internet.

To determine eligibility, interested consumers may call toll-free 1-877-990-0041. AT&T will continue making community-specific announcements in Mississippi in the months ahead, providing updates about additional availability as we expand these rural services to more locations. Service availability is currently limited to CAF II eligible census blocks as defined by the FCC.

In addition to Mississippi, AT&T is deploying this rural high-speed service in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

AT&T Fiber:
Our 100% fiber network under the AT&T Fiber umbrella brand lets customers choose from a range of internet speeds, all over a fast internet connection. This 100% fiber network is just one of the network technologies we plan to use to connect customers as a part of AT&T Fiber.

With fiber at the core of our networks we plan to use a combination of fiber and 5G to be one of the country’s largest high-speed internet providers. Ultimately, we plan to reach more than 50 million locations, with more than half of those locations seeing near-gig speeds, through 2020 and beyond.

AT&T Internet 1000, is our fastest internet speed tier on our 100% fiber network. It is offered at $70per month for customers who bundle with another AT&T service on a single bill, or only $80 per month standalone. Either way, equipment is included with a 12-month agreement.⁵ Eligible services to bundle with include our award-winning DIRECTV or U-verse TV service, as well as AT&T Wireless service. We have single, double and triple play offers to fit each customer’s needs.

For more information on AT&T Fiber, visit att.com/getfiber.

AT&T in Mississippi:
AT&T has invested $750 million in its wireless and wireline networks in Mississippi between 2014 through 2016. This drives upgrades to reliability, coverage, speed and performance for residents and business customers.