News Summary: AT&T to expand broadband reach
THE PLAN: AT&T has a new $14 billion investment plan for broadband.
HOW IT WORKS: Many homes in AT&T Inc.'s local-phone service areas will see the company becoming more competitive with cable for broadband service. But in more outlying areas, the company will start shifting customers from regular phone lines to wireless service.
THE BACKDROP: Like other phone companies, AT&T is having a hard time competing because regular DSL broadband is now much slower than what cable companies offer. So it will upgrade some areas to higher speeds and abandon phone lines in less dense areas in favor of wireless.
