AT&T Donates an Additional 35,000 Prepaid Phone Cards to the USO For Use by U.S. Troops Overseas
Posted on: Wednesday, 17 December 2003, 06:00 CST
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today announced that, in the spirit of the holiday season, it is donating an additional 35,000 prepaid phone cards worth $455,000 for use by U.S. troops serving overseas. This donation brings the company's 2003 prepaid phone card donations through the United Service Organizations (USO) to 195,000 cards worth nearly $3.5 million. In addition, it ensures that care packages the USO is packing this month will include one of the gifts the troops want the most -- prepaid phone cards.
The company continues to work with the military to install as many phones and as much capacity as possible to make it easier and more affordable for deployed troops to communicate with friends and loved ones back home in the U.S.
Recognizing the effect of additional and extended troop deployments, AT&T is donating an additional 35,000 cards through the USO to benefit troops in the service of their country. The company's donation of 160,000 prepaid phone cards in March 2003 was its largest ever to benefit troops. The combined 2003 donations reflect more than eight times the amount of free calling provided to troops in 2002.
"It's so important to be able to talk to the people who are dear to you, especially when service to your country takes you far from them," said Paul McQuillan, vice president of Sales for AT&T Government Solutions. "During this holiday season, we are proud to show our appreciation to troops who are separated from their loved ones by enabling them to connect and talk to the people they love back home."
AT&T is working with the USO to distribute the cards to service members overseas through Operation USO Care Package.
Separately, AT&T continues to work with the military exchange service to increase the number of phones available for use by the troops. This includes building and provisioning additional network infrastructure to support the ever-expanding calling facilities. It also includes the availability of prepaid phone cards.
AT&T has already established 30 call centers in the Middle East, including 13 in Iraq, and provided 600 mobile satellite phones that travel with the field troops in Iraq. By the end of the year, AT&T expects to have established a total of 15 calling centers in Iraq where service members using prepaid phone cards purchased at a PX or BX there can call the U.S. for less than 40 cents a minute; through January 4, 2004, service members who purchase a 550-unit prepaid phone card at a military exchange in Iraq will be able to call the U.S. from an AT&T Calling Center there for only 26 cents a minute.
AT&T is reminding deployed troops that one of the most economical methods for calling home is to purchase prepaid phone cards at the military exchanges (PX) where they're stationed. AT&T's agreement with the military exchange service makes these prepaid rates among the most competitive available.
The company said that its prepaid phone cards purchased in the U.S. may not be equipped for economical international calling nor optimized for calling from forward deployed areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
Both AT&T and the USO are urging Americans to donate to Operation USO Care Package, which enables individuals to financially support individual care packages that are delivered to service members. People interested in donating to the USO can visit http://www.usocares.org/ or call 1 866 USO GIVE. (AT&T has provided the web-hosting technology as well as the toll-free phone line to the USO at no charge.)
"Our primary goal is to continue to put as many prepaid phone cards into the hands of deployed military personnel as we can," said Elaine Rogers, President - USO of Metropolitan Washington. "The ability to keep in touch with their loved ones at home is an invaluable boost to the morale of our troops."
AT&T is an official provider of personal communications services to military service members, providing products and services to help those in the military keep in touch with their loved ones -- wherever they go in the service of the United States.
AT&T (http://www.att.com/)
For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE "T") has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.
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AT&T
CONTACT: Beth Bradner, USO, +1-703-696-3261, bradnerb@fmmc.army.mil; BobNersesian, AT&T, +1-973-326-3643, nersesian@att.com
Web site: http://www.att.com/http://www.usocares.org/
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