Carson hears AT&T update on fiber, cell-site upgrades and local network plans ahead of major events

AT&T representatives and City of Carson information-technology staff updated the City Council on June 3 about recent and planned investments in broadband infrastructure, describing multibillion-dollar statewide spending and specific local projects aimed at improving coverage and preparing for upcoming large events.

City IT Director Gary Carter said the city will begin a phased build of an underground, city-controlled fiber-optic network that he said will “pass every resident and business” and offer retail options with gigabit-plus capacity. AT&T’s presentation described upgrades to wireless and wireline infrastructure in and around Carson and legislative efforts tied to copper-to-fiber transitions.

Why it matters: Council members pressed the company on when upgrades will reach neighborhoods that now have limited options, and on the public-notice and outreach process for door-to-door solicitations about fiber. With the FIFA World Cup (2026) and the Los Angeles Olympics (2028) expected to drive spikes in traffic and usage around Dignity Health Sports Park, council members said they want advance clarity on siting and timing.

AT&T representative Mackenzie Neely Wright told the council that AT&T has “invested over $14,000,000,000 in our network infrastructure, from 2020 to 2024,” and that within Los Angeles County the company invested about $4,800,000,000. She also said AT&T invested “over $80,000,000 in the City of Carson” between 2019 and 2023. Wright described an industry transaction — AT&T’s announced plan to acquire Lumen’s mass-market fiber business — that AT&T says will expand its fiber footprint to more than 32 states by mid-2026.

Wright said the company is working on a cluster of upgrades around University Drive, naming “about 22 upgrades for our new cell sites” there and saying a permit package in the University Drive area is awaiting city response. “We’ve sent out notices to residents,” she said, and asked for city cooperation to move the permit forward.

Council questions focused on two topics: (1) whether AT&T’s infrastructure work will expand retail options for neighborhoods that currently rely on a single provider, and (2) health and safety concerns about the small cell or microcell sites AT&T proposes to place on light poles and other street fixtures. Wright said the company prioritizes builds based on identified demand, and that if the city identifies neighborhood demand the fiber team will prioritize that area. On health questions she said she would follow up with technical research for the city manager to distribute to the council and residents.

City IT Director Gary Carter summarized the municipal project: the city’s phase‑1 fiber will be underground, routed so each district is equitably served and designed to “pass every resident and business,” and to provide at least one city-controlled retail option intended to keep rates affordable. Carter said the project will support future developments along Olympic corridors and new neighborhoods already under construction.

Councilmember Cedric Hicks asked specifically why AT&T wants new small cell sites near University Drive; Wright answered that elevated demand during large events would otherwise overload existing cell sites and that additional macro or small sites spaced along light poles are needed to achieve contiguous coverage and public-safety call reliability.

What’s next: AT&T requested a timely city response on permit materials for the University Drive sites. Council members and staff agreed AT&T should provide more detailed outreach materials for residents; staff will follow up on timelines and will circulate AT&T’s technical and safety information once provided.

Ending: Both the private carrier and the city presented upgrades as ongoing and incremental. City staff described the municipal fiber program as a multi-phase project; AT&T said regulatory and federal reviews would follow any state-level carrier-of-last-resort changes and that the transition off copper is likely to be gradual and subject to consumer-protection rules.