Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

AT&T puts $14 billion toward expanding wireless

Dan Bobkoff Nov 8, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

AT&T puts $14 billion toward expanding wireless

Dan Bobkoff Nov 8, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

AT&T says it’s investing $14 billion over the next three years to beef up its wireless and broadband services. It’s another sign that the traditional landline’s days are numbered.

A third of the country has gone cell phone only, and many others are getting their voice service from cable companies or fiber optic connections. So, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson told investors yesterday that the company eventually wants out of the traditional business: “We plan to begin an aggressive transition away from legacy TDM technology.”

AT&T is asking the Federal Communications Commission to look into new rules that would let it move beyond the outdated and less profitable wires.

“With one hand they’re saying, look we’ll invest,” says Susan Crawford, who teaches law at Harvard. “With the other hand, they’re saying to the FCC, if you don’t deregulate us, we’ll never invest again.”

Crawford would like to see the government require fiber optic lines for most everyone. AT&T sees a future where customers have access to high speed wireless, broadband, or both.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.