U-Verse
Encyclopedia
AT&T U-verse is a registered service mark
under which AT&T
offers Internet access
, television, and telephone services in various parts of the United States
. It began in 2008 to serve mostly residences and small businesses in urban and suburban areas.
is used to boxes either within a neighborhood or at each premise. A high-speed variant of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
technology called ADSL2+ or Very-high-bitrate digital subscriber line (VDSL) are used on the telephone lines to the customers' premises.
In 2009, U-verse had 2 million customers (up 100% from 2008). It was available to 20 million living units in 22 states.
from the head-end
to the consumer's Total Home DVR or standard set-top box
. U-verse uses H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) encoding which compresses video more efficiently than the traditional MPEG-2
codec. Broadcast channels are distributed via IP multicast
, allowing a single stream (channel) to be sent to any number of recipients. The system is also designed for individual unicast
s for video on demand
, central time shifting
, start-over services and other programs desired by only one home at that particular time. The set-top box does not have a conventional tuner, but is an IP multicast client which requests the stream desired. In the IP multicast model, only the streams the customer uses are sent. The customer's connection need not have the capacity to carry all available channels simultaneously. U-Verse TV supports up to 4 active streams at once.
cabling or a HomePNA
residential gateway
or DSL modem. The rates offered were:
The Max service was announced in 2008, and Max Turbo was announced in December 2009. If ordering U-verse Internet access, the Basic, Express, Elite, Pro and Max packages can be self-installed. Max Plus and above packages require a technician visit.
Service mark
A service mark or servicemark is a trademark used in some countries, notably the United States, to identify a service rather than a product. When a service mark is federally registered, the standard registration symbol ® or "Reg U.S. Pat & TM Off" may be used...
under which AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
offers Internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
, television, and telephone services in various parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It began in 2008 to serve mostly residences and small businesses in urban and suburban areas.
Services
U-verse uses a Fiber to the Node (FTTN) or Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) communications network. This means Fiber-optic communicationFiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information...
is used to boxes either within a neighborhood or at each premise. A high-speed variant of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Asymmetric digital subscriber line is a type of digital subscriber line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are not used by a voice...
technology called ADSL2+ or Very-high-bitrate digital subscriber line (VDSL) are used on the telephone lines to the customers' premises.
In 2009, U-verse had 2 million customers (up 100% from 2008). It was available to 20 million living units in 22 states.
Television
U-verse TV is delivered via IPTVIPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
from the head-end
Cable television headend
A cable television headend is a master facility for receiving television signals for processing and distribution over a cable television system. The headend facility is normally unstaffed and surrounded by some type of security fencing and is typically a building or large shed housing electronic...
to the consumer's Total Home DVR or standard set-top box
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
. U-verse uses H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) encoding which compresses video more efficiently than the traditional MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
codec. Broadcast channels are distributed via IP multicast
IP Multicast
IP multicast is a method of sending Internet Protocol datagrams to a group of interested receivers in a single transmission. It is often employed for streaming media applications on the Internet and private networks. The method is the IP-specific version of the general concept of multicast...
, allowing a single stream (channel) to be sent to any number of recipients. The system is also designed for individual unicast
Unicast
right|200pxIn computer networking, unicast transmission is the sending of messages to a single network destination identified by a unique address.-Addressing methodologies:...
s for video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
, central time shifting
Time shifting
Time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a time more convenient to the consumer. Typically, this refers to TV programming but can also refer to radio shows via podcasts....
, start-over services and other programs desired by only one home at that particular time. The set-top box does not have a conventional tuner, but is an IP multicast client which requests the stream desired. In the IP multicast model, only the streams the customer uses are sent. The customer's connection need not have the capacity to carry all available channels simultaneously. U-Verse TV supports up to 4 active streams at once.
Internet
Internet service is provided to computers connected to the on-premises EthernetEthernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
cabling or a HomePNA
HomePNA
The HomePNA Alliance is an incorporated non-profit industry association of companies that develops and standardizes technology for home networking over the existing coaxial cables and telephone wiring within homes.-Overview:HomePNA does not manufacture products, although its members do...
residential gateway
Residential gateway
A residential gateway is a home networking device, used as a gateway to connect devices in the home to the Internet or other WAN.It is an umbrella term, used to cover multi-function networking computer appliances used in homes, which may combine a DSL or cable modem, a firewall, a consumer-grade...
or DSL modem. The rates offered were:
| Tier | Technology | Downstream peak rate | Upstream Upstream (networking) In computer networking, upstream refers to the direction in which data can be transferred from the client to the server . This differs greatly from downstream not only in theory and usage, but also in that upstream speeds are usually at a premium... peak rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | ADSL2+ | 768 kbps KBPS KBPS is a high school radio station run by Benson Polytechnic High School students enrolled in the radio broadcasting program. It is owned by Portland Public Schools... |
384 kbps |
| Express | ADSL2+ | 1.5 Mbps | 384 kbps |
| Pro | VDSL | 3 Mbps | 1 Mbps |
| ADSL2+ | 512 kbps | ||
| Elite | VDSL | 6 Mbps | 1 Mbps |
| ADSL2+ | 768 Kbps | ||
| Max | VDSL | 12 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| ADSL2+ | 1 Mbps | ||
| Max Plus | VDSL | 18 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| ADSL2+ | 1 Mbps | ||
| Max Turbo | VDSL | 24 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
The Max service was announced in 2008, and Max Turbo was announced in December 2009. If ordering U-verse Internet access, the Basic, Express, Elite, Pro and Max packages can be self-installed. Max Plus and above packages require a technician visit.