AT&T Digital Life Expands to Six New Cities

AT&T (News - Alert)'s excursion into the home security market, Digital Life, is nearly one year old. Debuting in late July last year, the telecommunications giant selected six U.S. cities to preview the technology and bring AT&T into their homes in order to merge the advancement of personal security with convenience of cloud monitoring and access.

Now, the Digital Life program is expanding to six more cities: Beaumont, Texas; Omaha, Neb.; Toledo, Ohio; Greenville, S.C.; Cape Coral, Fla.; and Oxnard, Calif. Customers in those cities will be able to purchase the service on May 23. The program works by allowing customers to use AT&T devices, such as cameras and temperature sensors, to monitor their homes via their mobile devices. Digital Life also includes around-the-clock support from professional monitors who can alert users to home security incidents and contact emergency responders if necessary.

Although AT&T will not disclose the number of customers in its program, it appears that things are going well. The addition of the new cities gives the impression that customer demand for the program is rising or may be fortuitous for AT&T in those locations.

The company is not only offering increased availability, it is also offering a new Digital Life-compatible device: a garage door opener. Users can operate the device via the Digital Life Web or mobile app. One drawback to the addition of this device, especially when compared to similar services, is that it comes with an additional charge. Customers add an additional $5 to their $40 monthly Smart Security package to be able to access the garage door opener.

The subsequent charge is unlike the similar Piper and Scout home security services that are available for use without monthly fees. In addition, AT&T must compete with the Garageio and MyQ Garage stand-alone garage openers that allow users to control them with their smartphones through a Wi-Fi connection. Still, the AT&T service looks to have some solid footing with which to offer its new garage opening device. Regardless of the success of the individual device itself, though, the recent expansion across the U.S. suggests that AT&T is doing well in this growing market.