SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - US telco AT&T has accelerated its phased foray into television, offering its U-verse video and high-speed internet service to about 5,000 homes in San Antonio.

AT&T is spending around $4.6 billion (€3.65bn; £2.52bn) to roll out U-Verse in a bid to reinvent itself as a full-service communications company.

It will introduce the service in 15 to 20 additional markets by year-end and plans to reach 19 million households by the end of 2008.