AT&T Lauds Partners for Business Fiber Milestone

AT&T said Monday that more than 450,000 U.S. business locations are using its fiber.

The telecommunications provider operates a fiber network comprised of four offerings: business fiber, dedicated internet, switched Ethernet and dedicated Ethernet.

AT&T estimates that the number of U.S. businesses working in the carrier’s lit buildings has exceeded 2 million. The company said in February that it was at 400,000 lit buildings.

AT&T’s Roman Pacewicz

“As the largest provider of fiber for business services in the U.S., we have unparalleled ability to help businesses transform. Our growing fiber network is the foundation for the future,” said Roman Pacewicz, chief product officer, AT&T Business. “With companies using more data, applications and services in the cloud than ever before, high-speed, ever-present connectivity has never been more paramount.”

Solution providers play a role taking AT&T’s fiber to market. Customers may access the offerings from the three branches of AT&T Partner Solutions – AT&T Alliance Channel, AT&T Partner Exchange and ACC Business – or buy them through AT&T’s direct sales force.

AT&T wrote Monday that it aims to make its partners’ experience selling fiber “virtually seamless.” The company has been sharing its data with FiberLocator, which is an online tool that shows partners and customers which buildings are already lit with fiber.

The Three Flags Center office complex in Laguna Niguel, California, runs AT&T fiber in six of its buildings. Shane Glass, Three Flags Center’s property owner and manager, said his businesses has enjoyed 100 percent leasing since installing the fiber.

“Fiber has been a godsend. Before AT&T fiber, the office and retail center I own lacked reliable and fast internet connectivity. It was impacting my ability to attract new tenants and keep quality existing tenants,” Glass said.

AT&T has been speaking highly of fiber opportunities for its partners. Randall Porter, vice president of Partner Exchange, wrote in February that partners can benefit from selling AT&T’s “fiber-rich” internet-access portfolio.

“As we expand our fiber network, solution providers should be ready to jump at the opportunity,” Porter wrote.

Zee Hussain, vice president of AT&T Partner Solutions, declared in April that fiber is a key pillar of AT&T’s 5G strategy, which in turn will pave the way for an explosion of IoT devices.