AT&T To Invest $2 Billion on Digital Divide

By John Eggerton
published

Will combine low-cost, or even no-cost, home service with school connectivity

AT&T
(Image credit: AT&T)

AT&T said it will be investing $2 billion over the next three years to "help address" the digital divide, including discounted service to schools.

The Biden Administration will be helping defray some of that investment through subsidy programs like its remote learning subsidies and Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) programs.

Also Read: COVID Bill has $17 Billion Broadband Investment

AT&T already has its Access from AT&T program to provide qualifying households with wireline internet at $10 per month, but points out that with the addition of the EBB, which will allow more than 30 million homes an additional subsidy of up to $50 per month ($75 on tribal lands), the customer cost for AT&T broadband could be as low $0.

The EBB can either go to the Access program or toward prepaid or postpaid wireless plans like Cricket Wireless.

Also Read: Hill Seeks Help in Promoting Broadband Subsidy

AT&T's $2 billion investment will also go toward discounted service to schools, colleges and universities, a new "digital learning platform" it is crating in partnership with WarnerMedia, and the launch of connected learning centers with high-speed fiber internet, laptops and tablets.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.