AT&T Brings Gigabit Speed, Innovation to Austin

The word “disruptive” is used to describe many new technologies, sometimes deserving and other times self-perpetuated hype. But in the case of what Google (News - Alert) is doing to light a spark in broadband service providers around the country, “disruptive” is very appropriate. Since Google Fiber was announced by the company, national and local service providers have been working on plans to provide gigabit Internet service in cities around the country, not because they wanted to, but because they were forced to. Even though Google Fiber is only available in Kansas City, Austin and Provo, the media frenzy surrounding this service has customers demanding this technology in their communities.

One of the companies to start providing the same gigabit speed is AT&T. The company is going to make the service available in mid-2014 in Austin, Texas, another city in which Google Fiber will also be available soon.

Along with this service, AT&T (News - Alert) is also establishing a new center for citywide collaboration to encourage innovation and welcome new ideas to use this technology to make Austin a better city. The center is going to be designed in collaboration with residents in the city including community leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and others.

According to the company, this multimillion-dollar community initiative will provide a comprehensive view of this technology and many of the possibilities it can provide. This includes education, data analytics, next-generation video and a variety of mobile applications and solutions. A studio in the facility will give community members the ability to create content for AT&T's platforms, including TV, online and mobile.

The company is awarding a series of technology endowments and collaborating with the University of Texas to explore every new possibility this technology can offer the citizens of Austin. The endowments will be awarded to local organizations that are focused on helping technology companies in Austin including the Austin Technology Council, the Austin Technology Institute, Capital Factory, Entrepreneurs Foundation, and the Tech Ranch.

This technology will introduce many opportunities, and as the world becomes more connected and the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes a multi-trillion industry by 2020, the AT&T gigabit infrastructure can be exploited to introduce innovative solutions and make cities smarter.