AT&T Fiber - Weird Rollout/Coverage = Frustrated! (San Antonio: 2015, apartment complex)

[kmm116]

So with all the controversy over Google Fiber building huts, etc I'm starting to think it's not going to happen. AT&T has been heavily advertising it's Fiber service, and has for some time. However, I am confused and frustrated by the way it's being deployed. How can one single house in an entire neighborhood get Fiber service, and the rest is still stuck on U-verse Internet? I have a friend who lives in an apartment complex that only has one building with a few units that get Fiber, the rest don't have it! It's been like that for years!

The rollout of this service makes absolutely no sense to me.

Check out this map and you'll see what I mean -
https://www.att.com/shop/internet/gi...erage-map.html

[ged_782]

Google is apparently moving forward with their fiber deployment in San Antonio. Supposedly, Google availability is to be citywide, but it may not be available outside San Antonio City limits.
Google Fiber to remove controversial


As for AT&T, I don't know what their plans are, but so far, their fiber availability looks be hit and miss. One block gets it, but the next one doesn't. They came through my neighborhood last year, and some nearby residents reported their AT&T 1 Gig service was up and running shortly thereafter. Can't get it on my block, but contractors were behind my house a couple of weeks ago pulling new cable along the poles back there, so we'll see.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by ged_782

As for AT&T, I don't know what their plans are, but so far, their fiber availability looks be hit and miss. One block gets it, but the next one doesn't. They came through my neighborhood last year, and some nearby residents reported their AT&T 1 Gig service was up and running shortly thereafter. Can't get it on my block, but contractors were behind my house a couple of weeks ago pulling new cable along the poles back there, so we'll see.

Someone in my area on Nextdoor claims that AT&T told them they were phasing out U-Verse, in favor of DirecTV. That also seems to imply they're not expanding their fiber coverage for Internet.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by Bo

Someone in my area on Nextdoor claims that AT&T told them they were phasing out U-Verse, in favor of DirecTV. That also seems to imply they're not expanding their fiber coverage for Internet.

There have been recent posts on Nextdoor in my neighborhood (along with nearby neighborhoods), from residents who are not happy with their forced switch from U-verse TV to DirecTV. One resident said they were eventually successful at refusing the switch to DirecTV, and were allowed to Keep U-verse for TV for now, but were told by the AT&T rep that U-verse TV service would be completely shut down by the end of the year. I don't know if that means nationwide, citywide, or neighborhood-wide.


I had U-verse TV and internet a few years ago (the hybrid fiber/copper kind), but the service proved to be unstable, so I cancelled. I haven't heard any complaints on Nextdoor from the residents who have AT&T's 1 gig internet, but there were complaints from others about the fiber/copper U-verse service that were similar to my experience.

[Shock]

I don't understand anyone who would wanna stay on Uverse TV. DirecTV is probably the best TV service out there albeit it does come at a premium price after 2 years.

[TrapperL]

Considering this neighborhood was among the first to get the "new", faster AT&T, we have 2 lines in the back yard that are AT&T. One is the newer, faster AT&T and the old is the older fiber optic. My speeds on U-verse for internet are at 60M down, and 5M up. I'm on the old system U-verse, not the new fiber optic. My internet is still hooked up like the old U-verse at the tall green box in the yard where the phone lines come in. The new Fiber Optic mount is next door and it's in an underground box about 24"x 30". It's a completely different system.
We're now getting Google fiber optic brought into the neighborhood. Strangely, when AT&T put their equipment in and destroyed everybodys back yard with their incompetent subcontractor, AT&T is putting in the main cable lines for Google and they are doing it at the street, not in the back yards. All they're leaving behind is small mounds of dirt where the horizontal auger has run the conduit underground just inside the curb on the city easements. You hardly even know it's there. Sure takes the pain out of having this crap put in your back yard, people tearing the fences down, destroying any landscaping, etc.

[John911]

As a long time UVERSE customer, I upgraded from u450 and a 12m Internet connection in 2015 to a 45m connection. This required the use of 2 equalized bandwidth pairs: 1 my legacy connection, and a second one that had to be patched together as no others were available in my neighborhood between the VRAD and the DMARC. Initially it worked, but then other unscrupulous AT&T techs stole my second pair for their projects. Since Jan 1 of this year this happened 3x and the sh*t hit the fan in March when a loss of connectivity just so happened while I was taking a midterm exam online.
Coincidentally, also since Jan 1, 2017, I had been visited by no less than 3 AT&T marketing reps who were trying to get me to switch to fiber. So while yet another tech was trying to fabricate another pair, I asked him if I should consider switching to fiber. His answer? Absolutely, its brand new infrastructure with extremely high reliability and as there was still relatively low utilization in my neighborhood, bandwidth would be in surplus.
The next step was to *call* AT&T and order fiber. I insisted that they look at my service history and that I would *not* pay 1 cent more than already was paying for flawed service.
They 'hooked me up.'
I now have u450 with 120m down and 125m up. And get this, as their 'lowest tier' I am paying $30 *LESS* a month than I had been for inconsistent 50+ year old copper twisted pairs.
Since March 10, I have not had a single failure.
The best part? My contract is not promotional, the lowered rate is guaranteed long term with automatic renewal.
I am a happy camper.

[zerreissen]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

Sure takes the pain out of having this crap put in your back yard, people tearing the fences down, destroying any landscaping, etc.

To be fair, anything within the easement boundaries are at risk. The easements exist so that the utility providers have access to the lines in case they need to fix, upgrade etc. As inconvenient as it may be, homeowners need to understand that before they make improvements to their homes within the easement boundaries.

We have a small (shallow from the back of the house to the fence line) backyard. When I built our deck recently, I was sure to pull a property survey and measure and mark the easements before I laid out my plans. I built the deck to within inches of the easement boundaries to maximize the space, but still playing it safe. When the AT&T contractors came out recently and marked the same lines, the guy commented that whoever built the deck had done their homework on the easement. I just smiled and nodded. My next goal for our backyard is to build a patio beyond the deck, but I'm building it in such a way that I don't really care if they need to rip it up for whatever reason.

The AT&T contractors are using the same method as TrapperL mentioned in our neighborhood, using a horizontal auger. Unfortunately the contractors made a calculation error and hit our power feed line and cut our power. CPS had to come out and temporarily connect a line from the transformer next door to our house. They will eventually need to come back out and dig up the lines to connect a new permanent line to the house. Since I currently don't have anything within the easement boundaries, I'm not sweating them digging.

[ged_782]

I saw a Spectrum commercial on TV last. Looks like they are trying to snag AT&T customers who are losing U-verse TV service, but don't want DirecTV.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wk_h/spectru...nd-by-at-and-t

[Azure110]

So has anyone had this ATT fiber installed? What is it like? I got notice that it is now available for installation on my street.