It's hard to believe that AT&T has any serious intention of improving their network.
If they wanted to spend $50 billion they could run optic fiber to 50 million houses at $1000 a house, then they would have a competitive network in every way.
If they wanted to spend $50 billion they could run optic fiber to 50 million houses at $1000 a house, then they would have a competitive network in every way.
Also, AT&T has been pretty good about rolling out fiber to businesses at least. I can thing of several older buildings with numerous T1 circuits and plenty of pots lines, yet AT&T still added fiber. Every brand new building that I've been in is served by fiber, for internet, phones (pri trunking), or a data connection to another campus. There are only a couple of pots lines for backup. They might not be too interested right now about running fiber to residentials, but they are very interested in running fiber to businesses. It's possible that it's simply not profitable enough right now, but I can't think of any reasons why the technology won't trickle down eventually.
Source: I work as a subcontractor of a subcontractor of AT&T, basically installing Cisco routers and equipment in businesses.