AT&T's internet master plan? Reportedly, FWA now — fiber takeover later

AT&T's Jeff McElfresh has shed some light on AT&T's fiber and FWA plans.

AT&T seems to have big plans for its extensive fiber network expansion. SDx Central now reports that AT&T's COO, Jeff McElfresh, has just detailed the telecom giant's plans for expansion and how they dictate its 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) deployments.

Reportedly, McElfresh said during a J.P. Morgan investor conference that AT&T is currently on a fiber building expansion equivalent to deploying a new fiber connection between New York City and Los Angeles "in route miles every month."

McElfresh also reportedly stated that they're now a scaled fiber builder. Back in 2022, AT&T formed a venture partnership with the firm BlackRock, which is also related to the scaling of the fiber network.

The carrier's COO also said that AT&T's plans are to eventually pass 50 million locations with fiber by 2029. Reportedly, McElfresh underlines that this type of heavy labor requires a lot of effort. The efforts are spread across 10,000 neighbourhoods in a given day, and he also highlighted the women and men at AT&T's commitment to keep the machine going and achieving the carrier's vision.

AT&T is using fixed wireless access (FWA) to get people online faster while they prep for the real goal: fiber.



AT&T's exec reportedly explained that in some areas, the carrier is rolling out FWA first, like giving neighborhoods a quick internet option, before fiber arrives a few months later. Since AT&T controls both the wireless and fiber sides of its network, it can do this pretty smoothly.

AT&T knows where its fiber will be going, and that's why it's giving people something in the meantime. It's a clever move: get people online now, then upgrade them when the high-speed fiber lines are ready.

This approach lines up with what AT&T has been saying all along: FWA is useful, but it's not the final goal. CEO John Stankey recently called it a “stop-gap”  – a helpful bridge while they move away from older broadband tech and build out a future-proof fiber network.

That said, FWA still has a role to play. Stankey pointed out that it might work long-term for businesses, where internet needs are more predictable.

And it's clearly working: AT&T reportedly added a record 181,000 FWA customers last quarter. Stankey said the carrier is simply getting better at using it smartly and now has a clearer vision.  

AT&T is using the momentum from its fixed wireless growth to be smarter about where and how it expands its fiber network.

Basically, in places where fiber isn't coming anytime soon, AT&T uses FWA as a “catch”, as a way to keep people connected without investing in older infrastructure. And in spots where fiber is coming soon, FWA can hold things over until the permanent upgrade arrives. The company's teams have gotten more efficient at rolling this out and are refining the playbook as they go.

At the same time, AT&T keeps popping up in acquisition rumors, especially around fiber. One recent example is speculation about a possible deal to buy Lumen Technologies' consumer fiber business. While nothing is confirmed, AT&T has made it clear that it's open to moves that add long-term value and strengthen its position as a top-tier connectivity provider.

And it's not just AT&T in the fiber race. Competitors like Verizon and T-Mobile are also rapidly expanding. Verizon is in the middle of a major $20 billion deal to buy Frontier Communications, which would boost its fiber coverage to over 25 million locations. T-Mobile has also jumped into the fiber game with bold moves of its own.

The bottom line? Everyone's chasing fiber, and FWA is becoming a helpful tool.