The Future Is Now

Dallas becomes second market for AT&T's speedy fiber Internet service GigaPower

Park Cities residents clamoring for faster downloads now have a new Internet service option. U-Verse with AT&T GigaPower officially launched in Dallas-Fort Worth on August 14, making it just the second market in the nation for the speedy, all-fiber service.

GigaPower initially launched in Austin in December 2013 and has become immensely popular for its lightning quick downloads at 1 gigabit per second. The rate equates to 25 songs in one second, less than three seconds to download a TV show and about 35 seconds for an HD movie. TV services include the ability to record five shows simultaneously and store 1 terabyte of data.

Although the announcement was billed as DFW-wide, the service is actually limited to residents and "small businesses" in Highland Park and University Park. AT&T says it will continue to build the GigaPower network to reach customers in the rest of Dallas and a slew of suburbs by the end of 2014.

As a consolation prize, speeds up to 100 megabits per second were unveiled today in Allen, Arlington, Euless, Fairview, Granbury, Irving, McKinney, North Richland Hills, Weatherford and Willow Park — all areas that AT&T hopes to be GigaPower-eligible by December 2014.

"DFW residents and small businesses will be thrilled with the speeds of this new technology, which will make their lives easier and enhance their Internet experience," AT&T's vice president and general manager for North Texas Hardmon Williams said in a statement. "Work is done more efficiently, family entertainment comes faster, and sharing news and video with friends is effortless."

According to AT&T, the company has invested over $6.55 billion in improving Texas networks since 2011. Monthly prices for 1 Gbsp service start at $120 for Internet-only service. Plans that include TV range from $150 to $180 per month.

AT&T intends to expand GigaPower service even farther than Dallas, and has its sights set on 100 new cities including Charlotte, Greensboro, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio and Winston-Salem.

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State of innovation

Texas ranks among 5 best states to start a business in 2025

Photo by Mykyta Kravčenko on Unsplash

Texas' friendly business climate has allowed the state to regain its rightful position among the top five best states to start a new business.

As one of the largest states in the U.S., it's no surprise Texas is big on business and entrepreneurship. Now the state is earning new praise among WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best & Worst States to Start a Business."

The Lone Star State claimed the No. 4 spot in the report's rankings — putting Texas in a better shape than it was last year when it earned No. 8 in WalletHub's 2024 report.

The study compared all 50 states across 25 metrics to determine the best places to start, grow, and find success with a new business. Factors that were considered include the number of startups per capita, job growth rates, financing accessibility measures, labor costs, and corporate tax rates.

The three states to outperform Texas are Florida (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), and Utah (No. 3). Idaho rounded out the top five.

Across the study's three main categories, Texas performed the best in the "business environment" rank, earning No. 1 nationally. This section compared the states based on its five-year business survival rates, average business revenues growth, and more.

Texas ranked No. 12 in the nationwide comparison of "access to resources" – which covers working age population growth, venture investment amounts per capita, and other means – and earned a fair No. 34 in the report's "business costs" ranking.

But Texas can still do better with its business friendliness to reclaim a top-three overall ranking, which the state last earned in 2023.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report that it is imperative for potential new business owners to establish their enterprise in a place that can maximize their ability to succeed.

"Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living," Lupo said. "The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally."

Dallas has also proven to be at the top of the destination list for entrepreneurs who are looking for their next venture.

The top 10 best states to start a new business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Georgia
No. 3 – Utah
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Idaho
No. 6 – Oklahoma
No. 7 – Nevada
No. 8 – Colorado
No. 9 – Arizona
No. 10 – Kentucky

business entrepreneurship rankings texas wallethub