AT&T sets wireless, wireline expansion via Project VIP

One of the most notable things about AT&T's (NYSE:T) $14 billion Project Velocity IP expansion program announced this week is the size and scope of the project, not just the dollar figure attached to it, but also the comprehensive nature of its mission.

Seeing AT&T expand its LTE network and commit to building out thousands of new POPs, cell sites and other network elements is welcome news, though perhaps not surprising, given the worldwide ramp-up of LTE. But, the major carriers talk about their wireless networks, and what they are doing to upgrade them, fairly often. The more surprising part of the announcement was AT&T's plan to expand its wireline network, too. Among other details, AT&T said it would extend it fiber network, expand services like U-verse TV and VoIP and add more DSLAMs.

In recent years it has become easy to think that the giant telcos have essentially capped their wireline network investments, but by showcasing its wireline network plans, and including them with wireess upgrade as part of a single project, AT&T really is making it seem as though its sees wireless and wireline as two very close sides of its new IP-based broadband enterprise.

IP has not necessarily blurred the lines between wireless and wireline worlds as much as we thought it would by now, but as long as carriers still have all these different network pieces in place, they should probably think about their networks as the sum of their parts.

For more:
-see this FierceWireless story

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