Areas of this map shown in green reflect areas eligible for the Federal Communications Commission's Connect America Fund which aims to expand broadband in rural areas where market forces alone can’t support expansion.

AT&T will announce plans to expand broad-band internet access to rural residents in a meeting Friday in Bremen. 

The meeting will be held at an AT&T cell tower site, and rural broadband availability in Cullman County will be discussed. 

“This is a truly significant new development to bring technology to citizens, and we look forward to offering details and answering your questions,” said Dave Hargrove, AT&T regional director of state legislative and regulatory affairs. 

This summer, AT&T has begun announcing the availability of its fixed wireless internet service in parts of rural Alabama, including Blount, Greene, Hale and Shelby counties, according to recent AT&T press releases. 

These initial activations are part of AT&T’s participation in the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund to provide nearly 66,000 locations across Alabama by 2020. 

In late 2011, the FCC modernized the program to support networks capable of providing broadband and voice services and created the Connect America Fund to efficiently and effectively administer that support to expand broadband in rural areas where market forces alone can’t support expansion. 

Carriers receiving Connect America Fund support must build out broadband to 40 percent of funded locations by the end 2017, 60 percent by the end of 2018, 80 percent by the end of 2019 and 100 percent by the end of 2020.

To find out if you’re eligible for new AT&T fixed wireless internet, call AT&T at 877-990-0041 or go online to att.com/internet/fixed-wireless.html