AT&T Commits $19B for Fiber and Wireless Network Expansion in California

AT&T (NYSE: T) announced a $19 billion investment commitment in its California fiber and wireless networks by the end of 2030. The company says this investment will develop the necessary infrastructure to support growing AI and data intensive applications, from remote health care to autonomous vehicles.

This investment will cover:

• Adding four million residential and business fiber passings by the end of 2030 reaching a total of over nine million fiber locations in the state.
• Expanding and strengthening its statewide wireless network with additional spectrum and adding more than 1,200 cell sites by the end of 2030, including in rural, suburban and urban communities, to support growing mobile data traffic.
• Enhancing emergency communications and modern 911 services while strengthening wireless coverage for public safety through FirstNet.

Along with the $19 billion investment, AT&T says it is committed to offering affordable options to help Californians get connected. It is partnering with organizations and investing in California’s communities across the state focused on closing the digital divide. 

Moreover, AT&T says it will recruit and train “hundreds of technicians” needed to build and maintain California’s essential telecom infrastructure.

At the same time, the company will be discontinuing energy inefficient copper-based services including traditional phone service in parts of the state on or after June 1, 2027. Through this transition, the company expects to save 300 million kilowatt-hours annually by 2030.

With this announcement, AT&T reaffirmed its 2026 and multi-year financial and operational guidance and capital return plans shared during its 1Q26 results, Inside Towers reported.

By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor