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AT&T U-verse TV non-update update for Orange County

March 31st, 2010, 11:30 am by

Readers searching for an alternative TV service have been asking for months: Any updates on the AT&T U-verse roll out?

It’s been 8 months since last summer’s series detailing the company’s decision to stop pursuing 7 Orange County cities, including Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Tustin. AT&T ran into roadblocks with the city governments to install large utility boxes above ground. The cities wanted underground structures. AT&T decided it wasn’t worth the time or money.

So, what’s happened since? AT&T just got back to me with an answer and you’re probably not going to like it.

“No updates to report on the OC cities,” said Katie Keating, with AT&T.

More on the U-verse impasse

> More on U-verse Impasse<

Keep in mind, U-verse has expanded tremendously in the past year. According to the company’s 2009 earnings report, it doubled the number of U-verse customers to 2.1 million and it still plans to make the service available to 30 million by the end of next year.

AT&T continues to market to new customers in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.

But like the other newish TV service, Verizon FiOS, there have been no expansions into new cities. This week, the Associated Press reported Verizon is winding down FiOS expansion. We already knew this was happening in Orange County last year and the company confirmed as much just a few months ago.  If you can’t get FiOS today, you probably won’t be getting it for a very, very long time. Sounds like the same is true with U-verse, at least for the 7 cities previously mentioned.

There is still some hope that Orange County cities will get fiber Internet, if not TV service. Google’s recent pitch to help out cities build fiber networks did attract some local attention. Fullerton, Mission Viejo and Anaheim all made a bid (read earlier story: “Orange County doesn’t go crazy for Google’s 1 gbps fiber Internet“).

More on U-verse:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 25 Comments »

AT&T on a roll, improves cell reception in 5 more cities

January 21st, 2010, 3:24 pm by

AT&T WirelessAnother slew of cell sites are up and running in Orange County that improve iPhone and 3G cell reception for AT&T customers. The new sites, which come one week after 6 others in O.C. were turned on, mean better wireless coverage in those areas. So speak up with a comment below if you notice a difference.

The new sites are near these intersections:

  • Dana Point: Near the intersection of Camino Del Avion and Golden Lantern St.
  • Santa Ana: Near the intersection of S. Grand Ave. and McFadden Ave.
  • Orange: Near the 55 Freeway and E. Katella Ave.
  • Huntington Beach: Near the intersection of Bolsa Chica Street and Heil Ave.
  • Anaheim: Near the intersection of Van Buren St. and La Palma Ave.
They are among 20 new sites announced today. Other cities getting better reception include Los Angeles, Glendale, Woodland Hills, Encino, Covina, Rialto, Cherry Valley, Beaumont, Montclair, Paso Robles, Ontario, and Rancho Cucamonga

All of AT&T’s 3G cell sites have been upgraded to HSPA 7.2 software, which means faster mobile Internet if you have an HSPA device. Think 7.2 mbps!

This isn’t the next generation 4G service being tested by Verizon and Sprint in other parts of the country. This is High Speed Packet Access 7.2, sometimes called Turbo 3G. AT&T’s plans to begin testing 4G (using Long Term Evolution technology, or LTE) next year and will offer 4G service in 2011.

HSPA requires a software upgrade. This is supported by souped-up cell sites, which are being linked by fiber-optic cables for to improve speeds. But each site must be activated so it’s an ongoing project. Orange County and Los Angeles was picked as one of six markets that will get the faster Internet speeds first. AT&T won’t what chunk of our area can already use the faster speeds but the company confirmed that activation has begun  in Orange County. AT&T expects the majority of mobile traffic will utilize the new technology by the end of the year.

Earlier on AT&T and HSPA:

Recent mobile news:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • | 41 Comments »

AT&T explains why it can’t build its TV service underground

August 18th, 2009, 7:40 am by

Where is AT&T's U-verse service? Readers: This is part of an ongoing series of updates on what happened to the AT&T U-verse rollout in Orange County. The company said in July 2009 that it was halting further expansion in seven O.C. cities. I’m talking to each city so keep checking back for updates! This story, in particular, is the long promised update on why AT&T can’t build its U-verse TV technology underground, as every city prefers.

When AT&T said it would stop pursuing expansion of its highly anticipated U-verse TV and Internet service in seven Orange County cities (Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Tustin), readers blamed the cities. Why would a city not want to offer residents another TV option?

Closeup

U-verse box in Brea

Most of the cities responded, saying, no, they haven’t rejected AT&T U-verse. Rather, they’re waiting for their laundry list of requirements to be fulfilled or at least answers to their multiple questions. Cities want AT&T to build the large U-verse utility boxes underground. Otherwise, cities believe they’ll be deluged with ugliness complaints or spray-can wielding vandals.

AT&T tells me it has responded to all concerns among the cities. Multiple times.

“Over the past two years, we’ve met with cities repeatedly and answered the same questions on the same issues,” said an exasperated H. Gordon Diamond, with AT&T’s public affairs, after reading some of the responses from the cities.

Cities have nitpicked AT&T, some asking for the company to pre-engineer each location (which takes 50 hours a pop, says Diamond), others putting requiring a list of “standard” conditions be met. While some cities say they just care more than those cities, AT&T says this is holding up progress and keeping an alternative TV service out of reach of residents.

So, let’s look at AT&T’s response to the biggest issue: AT&T says it can’t build these utility cabinets underground.

And why not?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • | 24 Comments »

Dana Point still waiting on AT&T U-verse

July 8th, 2009, 11:48 am by

Where is AT&T's U-verse service? Readers: This is part of an ongoing series of updates on what happened to the U-verse rollout in Orange County. So keep checking back!

So close, yet so far off. The city of Dana Point was targeted by both AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS for TV service, but neither have made it inside to offer residents an alternative to the area’s cable company.

Verizon. which launched its fiber-optic-based TV and Internet service in Orange County two years ago, had listed Dana Point as a targeted city back in late 2008, but still does not offer service there.

Meanwhile AT&T said earlier this week that Dana Point was one of 7 Orange County cities it has stopped seeking permits to offer TV service (read “AT&T U-verse comes to a halt in Irvine, 6 other O.C. cities“).

An AT&T spokesman said cities were caught up with the aesthetics of the street-hogging U-verse nodes, which look like large white boxes. They act as the neighborhood’s connection to AT&T’s fiber-optic-based TV service and send the broadcasts to nearby houses over more traditional wiring. H. Gordon Diamond, with AT&T public affairs, also mentioned that U-verse has successfully been rolled out in 230 communities in California. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • | 7 Comments »

AT&T U-verse comes to a halt in Irvine, 6 other O.C. cities

July 6th, 2009, 12:14 pm by

AT&T U-verse

Major correction on this post, which earlier was titled, “AT&T U-verse TV expanding to Cypress, Dana Point, elsewhere.” 

In fact, H. Gordon Diamon, AT&T’s public affairs representative, said that it has been so difficult to get permits in seven Orange County cities that the company has stopped applying for them.

“Specifically, the seven cities that I mentioned to you are not issuing us any permits so we have, in fact, stopped submitting them,” he said. Earlier, he said that AT&T U-verse was “working to secure the required permits for the upgrade” in these seven cities:

The U-verse impasse
  1. Irvine
  2. Cypress
  3. Dana Point
  4. Lake Forest
  5. Newport Beach
  6. San Clemente
  7. Tustin

The company still offers service in five of those seven cities — to all those lucky enough to get it before AT&T ran up against local bureaucracy. Two other cities — Cypress and Dana Point — are new to the list of cities AT&T was targeting. That’s too bad for those residents who were seeking an alternative TV service.

UPDATE: I’m checking with every city to see what happened in regards to AT&T. One has told me that it’s due to aesthetics but it hasn’t officially denied AT&T’s request. Watch for a full report on this blog soon. Meanwhile, I’m also responding to comments below.

Here’s the original post, corrected as necessary with changes in bold and red:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 39 Comments »

O.C. wants to know: When is FiOS coming to my city?

December 5th, 2008, 5:06 pm by

Verizon FiOSOrange County residents were some of the first to get Verizon’s fast FiOS Internet and TV service that is on par with cable companies. But still, I hear, “When is FiOS coming to my city?”

Time for an update. I asked Verizon FiOS for detailed launch by city. Of course, they didn’t give that to me. Too many unknowns (city permits, construction schedules), they said, not to mention that they dont’ want their competition to know.

But here’s what they could tell me:

Right now, FiOS is available in parts of Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Westminister, Stanton, Fountain Valley and some unincorporated areas. In the next month, the first Seal Beach residents will be able to order FiOS.

Earlier this year, Verizon announced a long list of cities that it was given the go-ahead to launch FiOS. In Orange County, those cities include Brea, Dana Point, La Habra, Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel. A complete list of Southern California cities is available HERE.

 

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 6 Comments »

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