AT&T is adding to its Missouri workforce. The company announced in April that its Missouri retail sales and management force will be growing by 240 positions.  The company currently has about 10,000 employees in Missouri.

The move is part an effort to provide excellent customer service at AT&T stores in Missouri as well as nationwide. The effort includes hiring 3,000 new employees nationwide.

In a separate announcement, AT&T has said the company wants to work with local leaders in Kansas City and St. Louis to bring 1 gigabit per second internet service to these areas. The two Missouri metropolitan areas were among 21 identified by AT&T as candidates for the new service.

The fast internet service is proposed to expand beyond the central municipality into the metropolitan areas. In Kansas City, that includes Independence, Kansas City, Leawood, Overland Park and Shawnee. In St. Louis, the additional areas included are Chesterfield, Edwardsville, Florissant and Granite City.

“We’re delivering advanced services that offer consumers and small businesses the ability to do more, faster, help communities create a new wave of innovation, and encourage economic development,” said Lori Lee, senior executive vice president, AT&T Home Solutions. “We’re interested in working with communities that appreciate the value of the most advanced technologies and are willing to encourage investment by offering solid investment cases and policies.”