COBB, Calif. – More residents in Cobb now have access to high-speed Internet service with the deployment of AT&T1 High Speed Internet to more than 500 locations in the area.

The service is available as a result of network upgrades made as AT&T rebuilt its network in the Cobb area, which was burned and destroyed in last year’s Valley fire.

The high-speed Internet service is now available to consumers and small businesses in parts of Cobb.

“I am thankful for the restoration work AT&T has done after the devastation my district experienced in the Valley Fire,” said Lake County Board of Supervisors President Rob Brown. “This is a very rural area and we appreciate getting connected.”

A special customer service line has been set up for Cobb residents and small businesses interested in activating service.

Residents can find out if service is available to their home by calling 1-844-458-3443 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The special help hotline will be available through Aug. 20, at which time callers will be able to call the standard customer service number.

An AT&T community relations team will canvass eligible neighborhoods on July 15 and 16 to inform residents of the new service availability.

The team will knock on all doors that are eligible and will leave behind fliers with the special customer service line and more details about the new Internet service.

AT&T invested nearly $90 million in its wireless and wired networks in the greater Santa Rosa-Petaluma area, which includes Cobb, from 2013 to 2015.

The company’s network rebuild following the Valley fire represents a significant portion of that investment.

“Our wired network in this region was completely destroyed in the Valley fire last year,” said Marc Blakeman, vice president of external affairs for AT&T California. “We’ve spent a significant part of the last year rebuilding the network from the ground up, which also allowed us to upgrade service and make high-speed Internet available to more Cobb residents. We’re glad to expand connectivity to very rural areas that didn’t previously have Internet access – it’s a priority for us in the coming years.”

A majority of Californians – more than 96 percent according to the National Broadband Map – have access to high-speed Internet at their home.

While some gaps remain in very remote, high-cost areas, recent fire restoration efforts have offered opportunities to upgrade services in certain rural communities.

Other efforts also are under way to connect more rural customers in California.

Last year, AT&T announced plans to participate in the federal Connect America Fund (CAF II) program to extend connectivity to additional locations in rural areas of California over the next five years.

As a result, more than 140,000 rural customers in California will gain access to a high-speed home Internet connection for the first time through AT&T’s network.

AT&T offers Internet customers a combination of speed and price, delivering a great value in home Internet service.

Additionally, AT&T High Speed Internet customers have access to our entire national AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot network, at no additional charge. Customers will also have the opportunity to sign up for DirecTV or voice service where available.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T Internet services.