But getting blazing-fast speeds to your doorstep is just one part of the equation. What also matters is what happens inside your home – and that’s where AT&T’s latest moves come in.
AT&T is transforming its routers into smart platforms that can run apps, thanks to a major software shift now powering over 12 million devices.
A little backstory first
Back in 2019, AT&T started looking at ways to deliver new broadband features faster – without waiting around for full software rollouts. As Wi-Fi routers (also called gateways) got more powerful with ARM-based chipsets, they became capable of running more than just your internet. They could also run apps right on the device. And since AT&T gateways are in so many homes, the company saw a big opportunity.With cybersecurity becoming a growing concern, AT&T decided its first big focus would be online safety. So, it started building a container framework – a flexible way to run and manage apps on routers without messing with the main software. Customers could turn apps on or off as they liked and only those who used them would have them installed.
AT&T kicked things off with AT&T ActiveArmor internet security, its first container-based app. It grew fast – millions of customers now use it. But the original framework turned out to be a resource hog, eating up memory and CPU power even when apps weren’t running. That put limits on how many apps AT&T could offer at once.
By 2022, AT&T’s system was starting to feel outdated. It was locked into a specific chipset and didn’t take advantage of the newer multi-core processors. So, the company started looking for something better.
That’s when AT&T chose prplware, an open-source platform developed by the prpl foundation. It is designed to bring more flexibility to routers across the industry and break away from the mess of proprietary software systems out there.
We are excited about the benefits this transition brings to our broadband customers and the broader ecosystem. By embracing prplware’s LCM, we’re improving efficiency, expanding choice, and empowering developers to innovate across carriers, ultimately delivering greater value and flexibility to subscribers.
– Jason Savard, AVP, Technology, AT&T, May 2025
The prplware package includes:
- prplOS (the main operating system)
- prplmesh (for better Wi-Fi mesh setups)
- LCM (Life Cycle Management), which is all about handling container-based apps more efficiently
LCM was a game-changer. It used way fewer resources when no apps were running, which meant AT&T could do more with the same hardware. It worked so well, AT&T started using it even on older routers that weren’t getting full prplware upgrades.
Today, LCM is already live on more than 12 million AT&T broadband gateways, powering millions of containers. The rollout’s not done yet, but AT&T is clearly making big moves.
So what does this mean for you?
In the future, your AT&T router will be more than just a box that brings in internet. It’ll be like a mini app store for your home network. Thanks to these tech upgrades, AT&T can start offering more apps – like upgraded security tools or smart home integrations – directly on your router without slowing things down.
And just like on your phone, you’ll get choices. Some apps will be free, others may offer premium features for a fee. You’ll be able to pick what fits your needs and switch things up anytime. Bottom line: better internet experience.
