AT&T Launches ‘GigaPower' in Chicago

AT&T has launched its fiber-based, 1-Gig-capable “GigaPower” service in parts of Chicago (IL), where the telecommunications company competes with Comcast and RCN Corp. AT&T said it will initially offer GigaPower in parts of several Illinois communities, including Elgin, Oswego, Plainfield, Skokie, Yorkville and “surrounding communities located throughout the metro area.”

AT&T estimates that it has invested more than $3 billion on its wireless and wired networks in Illinois between 2012 through 2014. In Chicago, AT&T is selling stand-alone 1-Gig starting at $120 per month, or 100 Mbps starting at $90 per month, under a “Premier” tier that requires customers to participate in AT&T's Internet Preferences targeted Web advertising initiative. The 1-Gig/TV bundle starts at $150 per month, while a triple-play version starts at $180 per month. AT&T has also been applying a monthly data consumption policy to GigaPower that caps usage at 1-terabyte before charging $10 for each additional bucket of 50 Gigabytes, with a maximum monthly overage charge of $30.