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AT&T Expanding Wireless Coverage in Kentucky; Investing More Than $52 Million This Year in Its Wireless Network

Posted on: Thursday, 19 July 2007, 12:11 CDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T , the nation's largest wireless carrier, has announced an investment of more than $52 million in Kentucky's wireless network. This brings AT&T's three-year investment in Kentucky to more than $200 million. AT&T will also add 19 new cell sites in Kentucky this year to expand coverage.

AT&T has delivered dramatic changes in Kentucky through the introduction of a blazing-fast 3G network; the synergies that come from being part of AT&T, the world's largest communications company; and the company's continuing efforts to expand and enhance its network operations.

"We are accelerating the changes that our customers see and experience in Kentucky, and that's as exciting for the company as it is for customers and employees," said Jim Thorpe, AT&T's vice president/general manager for wireless operations in Tennessee and Kentucky.

"Our goal is to ensure that AT&T customers have the very best wireless experience possible -- which includes unmatched coverage and quality of service," Thorpe said. "We have been working hard for many years to enhance service for our customers and to provide the best value calling plans and cutting-edge wireless devices."

Network enhancements planned for 2007 in Kentucky include: -- A site in downtown Franklin, Ky., will improve coverage and the customer experience in central Simpson County (West Kentucky). This site will also improve coverage on portions of the U.S. Highway 31W, state Highway 100, state Highway 73, state Highway 383, the Franklin Bypass and in the town of Franklin (the county seat). -- Four cell sites in and around Clarksville, Tenn., and Fort Campbell Army base. These sites will provide needed coverage across the residential area and the Operations areas of Fort Campbell and nearby Clarksville. -- The implementation of two sites in Fort Knox, Ky., will provide new AT&T coverage in the town and the Operations areas of the Army base. Coverage will also be improved along U.S. Highway 31W.

An important addition to AT&T's wireless network was the launching of broadband 3G service in 2006. This third-generation service now gives Louisville, Ky., customers access to DSL-type speeds for their laptops, with the ability to access the Internet and work with e-mail from anywhere within the 3G network. Handset customers have access to the latest entertainment, news and weather programming through AT&T Video and AT&T Music.

"The versatility of our network is unsurpassed," Thorpe said. "Since our network is based on the GSM standard, if a customer leaves our 3G service footprint, they will automatically convert to our EDGE network -- the largest high speed data network in the country. With other services, a customer could lose their access until they re-enter a comparable network." AT&T customers also can browse the Web and perform other data functions in more than 130 countries and can make a phone call in more than 190 countries and territories.

AT&T diligently monitors the quality and coverage of its network. In addition to third-party vendors that assess the company's network performance, AT&T network engineers constantly monitor the network and drive approximately 450,000 miles of highway across Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Indiana each year to ensure that the network is operating at peak efficiency. That's equivalent to more than 17 trips around the world.

Thorpe said consumers received an immediate boost as a result of AT&T's growth through the new AT&T Unity(SM) plans. Subscribers to this plan have the ability to call all AT&T landline and wireless customers at no additional charge, for a free calling community of more than 100 million people.

AT&T's wireless stores also have been offering products, such as high speed Internet, since 2006. Thorpe said the addition of AT&T products to wireless stores is only a small part of the benefit that comes from AT&T's growth. Here in Kentucky, there are 41 AT&T company-owned stores.

"Through our ability to combine wireless and wireline networks, AT&T is accelerating the convergence of new voice, data and video services that will lead the industry's shift to next-generation, Internet Protocol-based technologies," Thorpe said. "IP is the new foundation of our business and enables us to give consumers and businesses what they are demanding -- 24/7 access to any content or application on any device, wired or wireless."

The rebranded 1,800 AT&T-owned stores signal more than a change of company name, it reflects the new direction of AT&T. The iPhone, an AT&T exclusive product, combines three amazing products -- a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and a breakthrough Internet device. The iPhone combines both communications and entertainment and represents the future of mobile phones.

"The bottom line is that AT&T is the premier wireless company in the country," Thorpe said. "We're off to a great start already, and the future promises to be very exciting for Kentucky."

Note: This AT&T release and other news announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. 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. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. 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/.

(C) 2007 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

AT&T Inc.

CONTACT: Cathy Lewandowski, Market Manager of AT&T Inc.,+1-615-214-5874, cathy.lewandowski@att.com

Web site: http://www.att.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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