Global Tech Competition Bill, AT&T Hits 20 Gbps Symmetrical, Hargray Fiber in Georgia

June 13, 2022 – Senators introduced Monday legislation that would establish a federal competition office to assess how the U.S. is doing on technological competitiveness versus other countries.

The American Technology Leadership Act – introduced by Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Mark Warner, D-Va. – would establish an Office of Global Competition Analysis and enable the government to “identify which technologies will matter most to America’s economic and national security; evaluate America’s technology leadership relative to other countries; and determine the appropriate policy response to ensure U.S. leadership,” according to a press release.

“We are currently in a tech war with China, and the urgency to keep the upper hand is growing,” Sasse said.

The bill allows that “the Office of Global Competition Analysis would be staffed by experts from the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and Defense, along with the Intelligence Community, and other relevant agencies,” the release noted.

“Our bipartisan legislation would fuse information across the federal government, including classified sources, to help us better understand U.S. competitiveness in technologies critical to our national security and economic prosperity and inform responses that will boost U.S. leadership,” added Bennet.

AT&T hits 20 Gbps symmetrical fiber network

AT&T announced Friday that it has reached 20 Gigabits per second symmetric speeds on its network.

This was tested in an AT&T lab out of Austin, Texas to harness new technology that it said will pave the way for commercial availability of 20 Gig speeds and beyond.

“This technology is what enabled us to reach 10 Gigs earlier this year and 20 Gigs today,” said AT&T in a press release.

The company said in the release the speeds were achieved with “minimal infrastructure upgrades in our central offices and customer locations. And it runs over the same fiber optic cables we’ve spent the last decade-plus installing nationwide.”

Eddy Barker, assistant vice president of mobility and access architecture said AT&T’s symmetrical 20 gig capability will open many doors in the future including to the metaverse, autonomous cars, telemedicine, robotic manufacturing, real-time video sharing and gaming for developers and engineers.

Hargray Fiber expands fiber internet to Rincon, GA

On Friday, Hargray Fiber, an internet service provider in Savannah, Georgia, announced its plans to expand its all-fiber internet network into residential areas in Rincon, Georgia.

According to a press release, Hargray’s investment will reach more than 500,000 homes and businesses across the United States by 2027.

Hargray said in a press release that as it focuses on gigabit download and upload speeds, it will bring “ten times more speed to consumer doorsteps at a time when fast, reliable Internet is becoming increasingly critical to modern households.”

“We are committed to providing previously underserved communities with the high-speed connectivity that is essential for families, businesses, and local economies so we can see them continue to thrive,” said Ashley Phillips, Hargray Fiber’s southeast president.