MAYOR MIKE RAILINGS SAYS THE EXPANSION FITS INTO THE GROWSOUTH STRATEGY

High-speed Internet is finally coming to Southern Dallas.

Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) announced Tuesday that it would expand its GigaPower network to thousands of homes and businesses in the southern half of the city. Customers can start signing up now.

Mayor Mike Rawlings celebrated the announcement Tuesday with AT&T officials at Dallas City Hall, thanking the telecom giant for investing in the 100-percent fiber network. Gigapower is an all-fiber network that is available in 22 cities across the nation.

SOUTH DALLAS IS FOCUS OF CITY INITIATIVE

Rawlings said this fits right in line with his GrowSouth strategy, which calls for an overall focus on sustainable growth. New bridges such as the Margaret McDermott Bridge and Margo Hunt Bridge have bridged the gap between downtown Dallas and southern and east Dallas.

Now, AT&T’s GigaPower initiative could help bridge the digital divide, the gap between those with access to Internet and those without.

“The core message of GrowSouth is that Southern Dallas is not a charity case, it is an investment opportunity.” – Mayor Mike Rawlings

“The core message of GrowSouth is that Southern Dallas is not a charity case, it is an investment opportunity,” Rawlings said in a press release. “Today, AT&T is seizing that opportunity by bringing its best product to Southern Dallas.”

GigaPower isn’t cheap, though. It costs $110 a month with a one-year agreement, but AT&T “is offering low-cost wireline home Internet service to qualifying households,” according to its website.

AT&T boasts that it’s fast enough to download 25 songs in one second. A high-definition television show can download in three seconds and a high-definition movie can be downloaded in 36 seconds.

“The fiber-enhanced speeds will open up new possibilities for technology innovators and businesses, as well as consumers who want faster speeds for surfing, shopping, gaming social networking and more,” Hardmon Williams III, vice president and general manager at AT&T North Texas, said in a press release.

From Weatherford to Mesquite, GigaPower already is available in most North Texas cities.

AT&T launched GigaPower two years ago in Highland Park, University Park, Fort Worth, some parts of Dallas, as well as McKinney, Allen, and Irving.

The GigaPower announcement was the latest good news about initiatives in Southern Dallas.

In March, the city, Uber, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, and several community groups announced the DriveSouth Initiative, an effort to sign up 2,500 new drivers in southern Dallas within the next 12 months.

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