AT&T : First to 20 Gbps Symmetric Speeds in Production Network

AT&T Labs harnesses new 25GS-PON technology to pave the way for commercial availability of 20 Gig speeds and beyond

Today, the internet powers nearly every facet of human and machine interaction. From augmented reality and virtual reality applications and cloud gaming; to connected cars and smart cities; to the video conferencing tools that connected us all through the pandemic - those increasingly sophisticated apps and services require connectivity that advances just as quickly.

We are laser-focused on making AT&T the best broadband provider in America, pushing the envelope of faster speeds, greater capacity, lower latency, and increased reliability and reach. While we've racked up plenty of accolades over the last few years for both our fiber internet product and our fiber-powered 5G wireless network, no one is resting on their laurels. We're all about building for what's next. We are the Fastest Major Internet provider offering Hyper-Gig, symmetric speeds of up to 5 Gbps to consumers and businesses¹. Earlier this year, we announced that we have achieved up to 10 Gbps broadband in our Labs. Now, AT&T has reached 20 Gbps symmetric speeds in our production network, the first operator in the world to achieve this milestone.

Why are symmetric speeds so important? Consumers and businesses are increasingly both content consumers and creators. We are uploading and sending videos and other massive files. For example, if you're an online gamer, you are exchanging tons of data with other players in real-time, perhaps teaming up with your friends in VR or livestreaming your exploits to millions of fans. For businesses, sharing video and VR streams across the network enables near-real-time data analytics, metaverse communities, increased worker safety, robotic manufacturing, and more. The internet isn't just a two-way street. It's a two-way mega highway.

Journey to Hyper-gig

AT&T began deploying fiber to homes and businesses around 2010. Built on Gigabit Passive Optical Networking (GPON) technology, that initial service gave customers shared capacity of 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream. Being "passive" minimizes the need for active electronics in our outside plant facilities, which means lower maintenance costs and much higher reliability than legacy copper twisted pair or coaxial cabling. AT&T used GPON technology to become one of the first companies to offer symmetrical 1 Gbps internet service to businesses and consumers, in the form of our AT&T Fiber service. Whether it was customers sharing videos with friends or helping small and medium businesses connect franchises or branch offices across regions, this service was a huge stride forward in making uploads as seamless as downloads.

Ten years later, in 2020, AT&T began testing and deploying new XGS-PON technology in line with our plan to hit 30 million households and businesses connected with fiber by 2025.  With XGS-PON, we increased our network fiber capacity by 4x in the downstream and 8x in the upstream at roughly the same economics as our prior GPON investment. AT&T was an early adopter of XGS-PON with the largest deployment in North America. We had our first trial in North Carolina in late 2021, with a wider, Hyper-Gig speeds customer launch in 2022 featuring industry-leading 2Gbps and 5Gbps symmetrical broadband services.