AT&T will be able to close out the year claiming to have added a major market to its U-verse roster but just barely. The telcom launched very limited service in the Bay Area today, promising 60 days of service free for certain packages, a 60-day money-back guarantee and the usual discounts for bundles. The service area is so limited that the release about the Bay Area and the separate one about San Jose specify parts of cities. AT&T’s rollout started in part of hometown San Antonio; Houston was added recently with Connecticut markets New Haven and Hartford on the way. The company had planned a rollout to 13 markets this year but that looks highly unlikely at this point.
AT&T had some good news on the regulatory front this week courtesy of the FCC’s vote to speed up local video franchise applications but the company’s slow IPTV rollout appears to have more to do with technology than with franchise issues. (The FCC has yet to vote on the AT&T-BellSouth merger that would extend its potential video spread once the company is in full launch mode.)
The WSJ reported earlier this week that AT&T was adding 27 HD channels to U-verse to make the service more appealing than most cable operators’ HD offerings. AT&T’s plans are aggressive, which may be one the aspects holding it back. At the same time, the company has hedged its bets by offering another video package: a satellite combo with Dish that allows bundling with high-speed access, wireless and long-distance.
Related: AT&T Plans To Use Lessons Learned From DSL Rollout AS IPTV Launches
-- AT&T Counting On Wireless To Be The Difference With Cable