AT&T Strengthens 3G Wireless Coverage in Worcester County

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T* today announced a substantial strengthening of its 3G mobile broadband wireless network in Worcester County. As a result, customers in areas throughout Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Mendon, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Southbridge, Spencer, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield and Worcester should experience better connectivity, performance and enhanced in-building wireless coverage.

AT&T initially launched 3G services in the metro-Worcester area in 2007. These most recent network enhancements are part of AT&T's ongoing initiatives to enhance the speed and performance of its network - the fastest 3G network in the nation, according to recent independent testing. More smartphone customers have chosen AT&T over any other U.S. competitor, and AT&T is committed to driving continual enhancement of network capabilities to meet these customers' ever-growing mobile broadband needs.

To address the increased demand for advanced wireless services, AT&T has added eleven new cell sites across Massachusetts this year and expanded its 3G mobile broadband network to 847 sites - 119 of which are in Worcester County. These enhancements build upon AT&T's overall technology investment in the state, which exceeded $400 million from 2006 to 2008.

"AT&T's ongoing investment to build broadband networks helps to create jobs, fuel economic growth and enable our customers to quickly access the content that matters most to them," said William Leahy, vice president of Atlantic region legislative and regulatory affairs for AT&T. "Delivering dependable wireless coverage in more places across the Bay State for consumers and business customers who need to stay connected to work, family and friends, is our ultimate objective."

"Whether they are checking e-mail, uploading video, or using award winning applications like AT&T Navigator, AT&T is helping today's wireless customers to make the most of their mobile experience," added Steve Krom, vice president and general manager for AT&T New England. "From road warriors to texting teens, we have something for everyone."

This deployment is one part of AT&T's ongoing initiatives to enhance the speed and performance of its network. Recently, AT&T announced plans to further upgrade its 3G network nationwide with HSPA 7.2 technology to deliver considerably faster mobile broadband speeds. The upgrades are planned to begin in the fourth quarter, with completion expected in 2011. Additionally, AT&T is continuously optimizing and adding cell sites in Massachusetts and across the country to maximize performance for customers. AT&T is planning to add nearly 1,900 cell sites nationwide this year, and we're continuing to add new backhaul connections across the country to support the increasing volumes of mobile data traffic.

AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T offers 3G data roaming in more than 100 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 215 countries.

Across the U.S., AT&T's 3G network is available in more than 350 major metropolitan areas. For more information about AT&T's 3G coverage in Massachusetts or anywhere in the United States, consumers can go to http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/ . The online tool provides up-to-date wireless coverage information for specific locations. The tool can measure the quality of coverage based on a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.

There are 48 AT&T-owned retail locations in Massachusetts. AT&T's products and services are also available at a number of authorized dealer and national retail locations.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T | DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T's Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing and advertising sales. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE(R) magazine's list of the World's Most Admired Companies.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com . This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss . Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services.

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Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.