The Road to 50 Million Locations: AT&T’s Ambitious Fiber Expansion

The Road to 50 Million Locations: AT&T’s Ambitious Fiber Expansion
On this week’s episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Erin Scarborough, Senior Vice President of Mass Markets Product Management at AT&T Services, Inc., joined Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association and shared the company’s ambitious plan to deliver fiber service to 50 million homes by the end of 2029. She emphasized AT&T’s commitment to not only expanding its footprint but also delivering a superior customer experience. 

Drawing Parallels: Railroads and Broadband
“There are a lot of similarities between connecting a nation via rail and connecting it with high-speed broadband,” said host Gary Bolton, setting the stage for the conversation. Scarborough reflected on her long-standing experience in the industry, recalling the launch of AT&T’s first fiber location in Austin, TX, in 2013—branded “GigaPower.” At the time, convincing customers of the need for 100 Mbps to download over 10,000 songs in a minute was a challenge. While the demand wasn’t immediately evident, the team understood that bandwidth needs would only grow—laying the groundwork for future innovation. 

Building the Business Case for Fiber
As demand evolved, so did the business case for deploying fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). “We didn’t initially know how to be as efficient as possible,” Scarborough admitted. “But over a 10-year curve, maintenance costs came down, and we kept getting better.” Though it required bold assumptions early on, the investment began to pay off. Today, AT&T is nearing 30 million connected locations—and counting. 

The Path to 50 Million
With roughly 130 million households in the U.S., AT&T’s 50 million target is aggressive. “Where we have fiber, we win,” Scarborough stated confidently. “The business case keeps improving, driven by early penetration and lower costs.” She noted that AT&T has successfully leveraged strategic acquisitions and open-access agreements to expand its reach beyond its traditional footprint—often with the support of third-party capital. 

AT&T is on track to exceed its initial goal of reaching 30 million locations by the middle of this year—months ahead of schedule. 

Driving Operational Efficiency and Customer Value
Fiber infrastructure is not just about reach—it’s also improving AT&T’s operational margins and average revenue per user (ARPU). Scarborough noted growing interest from private equity firms in fiber deployment—investment that was once considered too capital-intensive. “My team continues to develop new features and products that enhance the customer experience—features customers are willing to pay for because they deliver real value,” she said. 

One of the latest innovations is All-Fi Pro, which includes a cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 gateway, up to five Wi-Fi 7 extenders for whole-home coverage, and AT&T’s most advanced network security—designed to elevate customer experience from every angle. 

Listen Now
To hear the full conversation and explore past episodes of Fiber for Breakfast, click here.