AT&T Said It Added Record 769,000 Internet Connections in Third Quarter
The company’s fiber network now reaches more than 39 million locations
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2026 — AT&T said it added a record 769,000 internet connections in the third quarter as the telecommunications company continued expanding its fiber and fixed wireless networks.
The company added 442,000 fiber connections and 327,000 fixed wireless connections during the quarter, according to its Wednesday earnings report. AT&T also added 379,000 postpaid wireless phone subscribers, bringing its total additions across internet and phone services to more than 1 million for the second consecutive quarter.
“We achieved a record quarter for Advanced Connectivity internet net ads,” AT&T CEO John Stankey said during the company’s earnings call.
AT&T reported $32.3 billion in total revenue for the quarter, up 5.3% from the same period last year. Revenue from its advanced connectivity services, including wireless and internet, reached $23.9 billion, a 6.1% increase year over year.
AT&T said its fiber network now reaches more than 39 million consumer and business locations. The company expects to reach more than 40 million locations by the end of 2026 and more than 60 million by the end of 2030.
The company’s fiber expansion includes locations acquired through its purchase of Lumen Technologies’ mass-market fiber business earlier this year.
AT&T is also pursuing customers who purchase both home internet and wireless phone service. About 42.8% of households using its advanced home internet services also subscribe to its postpaid wireless phone service.
Stankey said AT&T added approximately 350,000 customer relationships involving both services during the quarter.
The company is also positioning its fiber network to serve growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers. Stankey said more than 90% of mapped U.S. data centers are within 10 miles of AT&T’s fiber network, while more than 80% are within one mile.
He cited Amazon Web Services and Microsoft among the companies working with AT&T to meet their high-capacity connectivity needs.
AT&T is also working to phase out its older copper-based network, which it says is more costly to maintain than newer technologies.
Stankey said the company has more than 100 wire centers with no customers remaining on legacy services. AT&T aims to discontinue copper-based services in 50% of its wire centers outside California by the end of 2027 and substantially all of them by the end of 2029.
The company reported $5 billion in free cash flow for the quarter, compared with $4.9 billion a year earlier. AT&T also raised its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings-per-share outlook to approximately $2.40, up from its previous forecast of $2.25 to $2.35.
The company said it remains focused on expanding fiber, growing its wireless business and improving profitability as it shifts away from legacy services.
