AT&T Inc. said Wednesday it plans to invest $1 billion in 2008 to continue the expansion of its network and products for multinational companies.
The 2008 program — which is 33 percent more than last year's enterprise investment and more than double AT&T's investment in 2006 — is being driven by demand for IP networks and services as companies deal with the surge in data, voice and video traffic.
AT&T said it is accelerating its efforts to extend its global network reach and capacity; globalize its portfolio of business services; and embed the latest utility computing and other technologies in the network so that companies can deliver real-time applications to their customers, suppliers and partners.
Some of what AT&T plans to invest in is subsea fiber optic cable to Japan and Asia; enhanced Ethernet network capibilities; unified communications; and increasing data center hosting capabilities.
"Companies worldwide are responding to the exploding need to deliver voice, data and video in real time to their end-users, no matter where they are, no matter what the device," said Ron Spears, group president of AT&T Global Business Services. "It is vital that we continue to invest in those geographies and services to meet this demand so our customers can connect their operations, partners and suppliers."
