AT&T and city of Amarillo officials broke ground on a new state-of-the-art fiber network that will provide blazing fast internet to more than 22,000 customer locations in the city.
AT&T Vice-President and General Manager – North Texas, Lynette Aguilar joined Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and other community leaders at the Alamo Center to mark the $24 million public-private project between AT&T and the city.
“This groundbreaking signifies the start of new possibilities for Amarillo,” said Mayor Nelson. “Technology is ever evolving, and our city deserves broadband that can handle the present and future demands. I’m glad that we were able to collaborate with AT&T and other community partners to find the best solution to connectivity for our residents.”
“Expanding our fiber footprint to connect underserved communities like Amarillo is necessary to our work to help close the digital divide,” said Aguilar. “AT&T’s history building communications in this state spans over 140 years. Our job is to continuously evolve with those demands to continue to serve our customers and the community. That’s what we’re doing in Amarillo.”
“Amarillo’s dedication to investing in fiber broadband is going to bring life-changing opportunities to our panhandle community,” added Rep. Four Price. “Our schools, businesses, and families thrive when public officials and experienced internet service providers like AT&T come together to address the digital divide.”
The network, which is expected to be complete in the next 12-18 months, will bring AT&T’s hyper-fast fiber service to more residential and small business locations across the Amarillo area.
One of the areas that will benefit directly from the new AT&T fiber network is the Barrio neighborhood, located in East Amarillo. The historic area, with a rich Hispanic heritage, has been the focus of a revitalization plan approved by the Amarillo City Council in 2018 in conjunction with the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee.
“The Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee advocates for ways to strengthen our community and showcase our local talent,” said Teresa Kenedy, President, Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee. “This investment in connectivity by both the city and AT&T will bring countless opportunities for our residents to work, learn and play.”
