Reflecting the company’s long-standing commitment to deploying high-speed Internet access in urban and rural areas across Kansas, AT&T has committed to extend broadband to more than 35,000 rural homes and businesses in Kansas over the next six years.
“We are excited to announce that we will be participating in the second phase of the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund, which will enable us to bring more broadband service to rural Kansans,” said Mike Scott, president of AT&T Kansas. “Over the next six years, we will accept nearly $19 million annually to expand high-speed Internet service to 35,000 rural Kanas homes and businesses currently without a competitive broadband provider. AT&T has been investing in our innovative networks in urban and rural areas across Kansas for more than 135 years, and we are pleased to participate in this program and continue bringing high-speed Internet services to more Kansans.”
Understanding that broadband deployment in some remote areas is not economically viable, in late 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Connect America Fund (CAF) to expand broadband in rural areas where market forces and economics do not support expansion.
AT&T has elected to participate in the second phase of the CAF program in Kansas, committing to deploy broadband to more than 35,000 homes and businesses in rural areas the FCC has targeted.  In those areas AT&T will deliver broadband at speeds of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 1 Mbps for uploads.
“Reliable internet access is important to the continued growth and competitiveness of rural Kansas in an increasingly information technology-based economy,” said Gov. Sam Brownback. “The Connect America Fund II will help our communities gain access to this important resource.”