AT&T Secures Bentonville Video

By: Business Journal Staff
Summary: AT&T Arkansas launches U-Verse product
Just because AT&T’s scramble to line up video agreements with Arkansas municipalities has quieted down some in recent months, it didn’t mean they were done pursuing them.
Right on cue, we heard AT&T Arkansas had gotten back on the ball in the middle of June and scored another deal in Northwest Arkansas as the Bentonville City Council unanimously voted to approve a video deal on June 12.
AT&T is seeking agreements with municipalities in preparation for its coming launch of its U-Verse product. U-Verse is an Internet Protocol Television service that will directly compete with established cable companies to offer video service along with its wireless and wireline phone services and high-speed Internet.
According to Ted Wagnon, the AT&T spokesman who has been roaming the state helping to get these deals done, the agreement with Bentonville is the tenth such deal in Arkansas.
The contract is similar to the other nine in Maumelle, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Benton, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers.
Wagnon said there are still no launch dates planned for Arkansas, but U-Verse is currently being marketed in 21 markets and is adding customers at a rate of about 2,000 per week.
It’s expected to hit 10,000 per week by the end of the year, he said.
AT&T offers video services through its Dish Network, Homezone and U-verse products, and currently serves nearly 1.7 million customers.