AT&T U-verse Internet Review
AT&T U-verse is a suite of Internet Protocol (IP)-based products and services , including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet, and AT&T U-verse Voice telephone, (VoIP) service. U-verse uses both fiber-to-the-node and fiber-to-the-point technology to provide speeds up to 25 Mbit/s to the customer's home.
AT&T has pumped up its speeds by applying a fiber-to-the-node architecture that puts fiber out in the local neighborhoods but yet avoids the extremely costly work of digging up the last-mile connections to each individual home. Early in 2008, the company claimed that it could provide 10Mbps over such lines; by the end of the year, it was boasting (up to) 25Mbps.
That pales in comparison to what both FiOS and DOCSIS 3.0 cable systems can deliver, but it's sufficient for a million households today, even though watching HDTV takes a large chunk out of the overall bandwidth on hand for TV and Internet service. But, just as is seen in DSL's continued popularity, millions of people don't necessarily require enormous bandwidth.
AT&T also provides a "U-Verse Voice" VoIP package that doesn't pass over the polluted "open Internet" but on the company's pure "fiber-rich network." Rolled in with IPTV and Internet data access, the system further obscures the old structural lines between phone company and cable operators.
U-Verse TV is AT&T's television service, which is a 100-percent Internet Protocol (IP)-based video service. U-Verse presents its digital television services to customers via phone lines or over fiber utilizing Internet protocol (IPTV - Internet Protocol TV). The IP services are provided across AT&T's expanded fiber network.
Total Home DVR Allows You To:
- Pause a recorded show and pick up where you left off in another room.
- Replay the same recorded show on different TVs, at different points.
- Play back up to 4 recorded shows at a time. Up to 3 can be HD recorded programs.
- Organize recorded content by series.
- You can store up to 37 hours of HD content or up to 133 hours of SD content.
- Record more of the show you want to see with soft padding, which automatically adds 1 minute to the beginning and 2 minutes to the end of each pre-scheduled recording.
- Set the DVR while on the go from your PC or wireless phone.
Total Home DVR is a feature of U-verse TV and was ushered in on September 9, 2008. It permits customers to view recorded shows on any TV in the home with a set-top box (STB).
In 2009, AT&T has reached a milestone with its U-Verse IPTV service: 1 million subscribers distributed across 79 major markets in 16 states.
AT&T U-verse not in your area? Then check for other High Speed Internet Services by returning to our home page. U-Verse availability is limited, but AT&T's DSL service or your cable company's Internet service are probably still options for you.