AT&T is taking steps to offer rural internet to Decatur County, a spokesman for the telecommunications company announced Wednesday.

Select rural areas in the county now have access to high-speed Internet through AT&T’s Fixed Wireless service. Decatur County is one of the first locations nationwide where AT&T is providing this service.

“The more than 19,000 men and women who work for AT&T and call Georgia home, are working every day to turn our investments into the high-speed connectivity that Georgia’s residents and businesses demand,” said Bill Leahy, president of AT&T Georgia. “Through this innovative service, we are further closing the remaining connectivity gap in rural Georgia.”

AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet delivers a home internet connection with download speeds of at least 10 Mbps. The connection comes from a wireless tower to a fixed antenna on customers’ homes or businesses. The company said this is a cost-effective way to deliver high-quality, high-speed internet to customers living in rural and undeserved areas.

Plans are in place for AT&T to reach more than 67,000 locations with this technology across Georgia by 2020.

“More and more, whether you are in urban or rural areas, high-speed connectivity is vital, and I am excited to see this newly available service bringing needed connectivity to our rural communities in Georgia,” said State Senator Dean Burke. “And to be among the first in the nation to have access through this service is a testament to the consistent community efforts to raise this issue.”

State Representative Jay Powell said it was a good day for rural residents as they are some of the first customers in the country to have access to this technology.

“We have work that remains to be done, and I will continue to work with my colleagues and private industry to bring increased access to high-speed Internet in rural Georgia,” said State Representative Jay Powell.

The work in Georgia is expanding to 17 more states this year. Those additional 17 states are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

This rural internet initiative is part of AT&T’s FCC Connect America Fund committee to serve more than 400,000 locations by the end of 2017 and more than 1.1 million locations by 2020.

“It is important for Decatur County to enjoy the type of high-speed Internet access which improves the quality of life for our residents and makes our communities more attractive to potential employers,” said Rick McCaskill, Executive Director of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Development Authority.

To find out more about the Fixed Wireless Internet in Decatur County, visit att.com/fixedwireless or call (877) 990-0041.