AMERICUS — AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet is now available for certain rural and underserved locations in parts of Lee and Sumter counties.
Joined by state Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, state Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson, state Representative Bill McGowan, D-Americus, and other community leaders, AT&T announced that some residents near Leslie, Andersonville and in the Americus-area are included in the initial rural locations in Georgia to which AT&T has extended Fixed Wireless Internet as part of its FCC Connect America Fund commitment.
As a part of this commitment across 18 states, we plan to reach over 400,000 locations across 18 states by the end of 2017, and over 1.1 million locations by 2020.
“More and more, whether you are in urban or rural areas, high-speed connectivity is vital, and I am excited to see this newly available service bringing needed connectivity to our rural communities in Georgia,” said Sen. Kirk. “And to be among the first in the nation to have access through this service is a testament to the consistent community efforts to raise this issue.”
“It is important for Sumter County to enjoy the type of high-speed Internet access which improves the quality of life for our residents and makes our communities more attractive to potential employers,” said Sen. Sims.

“I am pleased to learn that Sumter County residents will be among the first in the country to enjoy the high speed connectivity that our businesses and residents demand,” said Representative McGowan.

AT&T plans to reach over 67,000 locations with this technology across Georgia by 2020, and extending availability in Sumter County brings AT&T closer to reaching its commitment of completing 40 percent of the build by the end of this year.

“Businesses and residents in Sumter County are fortunate to have community leaders who are consistently working to bring services and innovation to our communities,” said Barbara Grogan, president of the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce. “This newly available service will help to meet the high-speed connectivity demands of our residents.”

“The more than 19,000 men and women who work for AT&T and call Georgia home are proud to work with our local, state and federal leadership to provide the connectivity that Georgia’s residents and businesses demand,” said Courtney Brinson, regional director of external affairs for AT&T Georgia. “Through this innovative service, we are working to extend that connectivity to even more of Georgia.”

AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet service delivers a home internet connection with download speeds of at least 10Mbps. The connection comes from a wireless tower to a fixed antenna on customers’ homes or businesses. This is an efficient way to deliver high-quality internet to customers in rural and underserved areas.

The nine states where AT&T has already launched service include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana. Additional states where it plans to launch this year are Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.