AT&T has quietly announced it has stopped selling digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband as of October 1. But while the company says the move will help it focus on delivering better options to U.S. consumers, a new report says these customers shouldn’t hold their breath. 

“Current DSL customers will be able to continue their existing service or where possible upgrade to our 100% fiber network,” AT&T said. 

But a well-timed report by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance says AT&T has a long history of refusing to upgrade less affluent neighborhoods to fiber. Only 5 percent of households (217,284 out of 4,442,675) across AT&T’s rural network footprint have access to fiber, and the company is in no rush to upgrade them anytime soon, the organization said. 

Telecom experts say the decision comes at a terrible time for the 42 million Americans without broadband access during an historic health crisis.

“During a national crisis where Internet access is critical to learning, speaking with a doctor, working and safe social distancing, cutting off a service that is predominantly found in low-income areas is the epitome of tone-deafness,” former FCC advisor Gigi Sohn told Motherboard. “When millions of jobs have been lost and families are scrambling to make ends meet, pushing Americans to buy even more expensive broadband services seems especially cruel.”

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