AT&T eyes multi-gig move as part of fiber plan

AT&T Communications CEO Jeff McElfresh highlighted the potential for the operator to boost average revenue per user (ARPU) by offering multi-gigabit capabilities on its fiber infrastructure, shedding more light on an ambitious network expansion plan. AT&T bumped up speeds on its lower broadband tiers to 300 Mbps and 500 Mbps, and currently offers a 1-gig plan as its premium service. McElfresh said it could add even more options to the table, noting its fiber assets are “multi-gig enabled.” That gives AT&T the opportunity to “now begin to offer different speed tiers and different use categories across that fiber network to provide for some price discrimination, to help us grow our ARPU [average revenue per user] as we grow our penetration in that fiber,” he said. His comments follow a statement from AT&T Broadband EVP and GM Rick Welday in April, who said he expected most broadband speed tiers to climb above 1 gig over time. Neither executive offered a timeline for when AT&T might begin offering multi-gig service.