AT&T Expands U-verse in San Antonio
By Karen Brown -- Multichannel News, 6/26/2006 1:13:00 PM
After months of testing, AT&T’s much anticipated commercial rollout of its U-verse Internet-protocol-TV service is now under way in San Antonio.
AT&T has been trialing the U-verse service since the beginning of the year to a small number of customers in the city. Now it is launching the service to a larger chunk of the city, offering a TV package with more than 200 channels including local, premium movies, sports and digital music. U-verse will also offer on-demand programming.
The U-verse service is priced at $69-$124 per month, depending on customers’ choice of programming and bundles with high-speed-Internet service.
In addition to the main TV package, AT&T will also offer a premium Spanish-language package for a special $5 monthly fee for the first three months.
Customers can also opt for family-friendly programming as part of a package of services dubbed “U-family.” That package will offer family-oriented TV channels and on-demand programming, three TV receivers and a digital-video recorder, with prices starting at $54 per month.
For hardware, AT&T is offering three digital receivers, including a DVR model at no extra charge. Customers can add additional boxes for $5 monthly.
A one-time $20 installation fee covers the set-top boxes and a tutorial by an AT&T technician covering how to use the service, access on-demand content and navigate the electronic programming guide.
As part of the rollout, AT&T is offering qualified San Antonio customers free TV service for the first three months, although other monthly charges for extra digital set-top boxes or programming packages will apply.
In the coming months, AT&T plans to add to the channel lineup, including HDTV channels. It also will add to its on-demand catalog and unveil a whole-home DVR feature along with other interactive features later this year.
