Page 40 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

South Carolina Broadband Office Announces Plans to Deliver AT&T Fiber-
Powered Broadband to More Than 9,000 Customer Locations in Charleston

and Greenville

The South Carolina Broadband Office like AT&T, we continue to make great 2024. “Bringing fast and reliable AT&T Fiber
announced a project with AT&T* to expand progress and ultimately improve the quality to Greenville and Charleston is a prime
AT&T Fiber to more than 9,000 additional of life for thousands of South Carolinians.” example of how we’re helping to close
customer locations in Greenville and Plans call for residents and businesses the digital divide through public-private
Charleston. In Greenville, AT&T has been to have access to the fastest internet partnerships,” said AT&T South Carolina
selected to build AT&T Fiber to nearly 2,500 delivering up to 5-Gig speeds1 and 25X President Jane Sosebee. “With AT&T Fiber,
customer locations in a project valued at faster upload speeds2 and more upload we’re connecting more South Carolinians
$12.3 million. In Charleston, the plan calls bandwidth than cable.3 Faster speeds and with blazing fast internet that will help
for AT&T Fiber to be delivered to nearly 6,900 increased bandwidth mean customers can enhance education, telemedicine and
customer locations in a project valued at connect multiple devices, stream multiple entrepreneurship in the Palmetto State.”
$10.5 million. “For South Carolina to remain entertainment sources, quickly upload AT&T has extensive experience deploying
competitive, especially in our rural areas, content to social media and experience fiber-optics across South Carolina. In fact,
we must ensure that high-speed internet ultra-low lag for pro-level gaming – all more than 400,000 locations in the state
is a possibility for every South Carolinian, at the same time. Extensive planning have access to AT&T Fiber today. AT&T
said. Gov. Henry McMaster. “Thanks to the and engineering work for this project will is working to roll out AT&T Fiber through
partnership between the South Carolina begin immediately. The network buildout public-private partnerships in communities
Broadband Office and our private partners, is expected to be complete by the end of across the country and to further close
the digital divide by encouraging adoption
and offering affordable internet solutions.
One of those ways is through participating
in the federal Affordable Connectivity
Program (ACP). The ACP provides eligible
households with a benefit of up to $30 a
month (up to $75 a month on qualifying
Tribal lands) to reduce the cost of broadband
service and can be applied to AT&T Fiber,
where available. Or use it toward Access
from AT&T, offering speeds up to 100Mbps
for $0 after the ACP benefit is applied. After
you confirm your ACP eligibility, call us at
866-986-0963 or visit us online to review
your options and order service. Be sure to
have your ACP application ID handy when
you do this.

China Mobile International and Zain KSA Sign

MoU to Enhance Collaborations in Providing All-
round Carrier Services

China Mobile International (CMI) and Eng. Sultan AlHadlag, Executive parties will further enhance cooperation in
and Mobile Telecommunications General Manager of Zain KSA. CMI and empowering 5G development and carrier
Saudi Company (Zain KSA) signed a Zain KSA will work together on developing service transformation and geographic
memorandum of understanding in Riyadh, competitive products and solutions and expansion to better serve individual users
Saudi Arabia to establish an all-around carrying out high-level collaboration. Both as well as organizations and enterprises
partnership. The signing ceremony was parties will strive to implement key projects across the Kingdom with world-class
held at LEAP Tech Conference, the largest to contribute to the development of the services. Mr. Colin Wang, Managing Director
tech event in Saudi Arabia and the region, Saudi ICT sector. Based on CMI's global of CMI Middle East and Africa, said: "CMI
attended by Mr. Colin Wang, Managing network resources, carrier service brand is dedicated to serving the Middle East
Director of CMI Middle East and Africa, iConnect, and technical capabilities, both market, providing comprehensive services

40 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023