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AT&T Wireless Records Impressive Voter Turn Out for American Idol

Posted on: Thursday, 12 February 2004, 06:00 CST

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Wireless customers are once again contributing to the results of this year's "American Idol" on FOX. For the first voting episode of "American Idol," which aired on February 10, AT&T Wireless customers cast many times more votes via text messaging than they did for the first voting show from last season. In addition, the AT&T Wireless network performed flawlessly processing over 1,000 text votes per second during the peak of voting activity.

"The results we saw for the first voting episode far exceeded our own highest expectations," said Glenice Maclellan, vice president of messaging services at AT&T Wireless. "From a text messaging perspective, there's no question that this year's participation will be even more successful than the record-breaking results we achieved last year. It's clear that our effort with 'American Idol' has done more to raise consumer awareness about text messaging than any other marketing activity in the US -- bar none."

Last season, AT&T Wireless and FOX introduced millions of Americans to text voting and created the largest text messaging event by a single carrier in world history. The country embraced interactive text messaging with unprecedented fervor, sending 7.5 million messages throughout the series. This year, AT&T Wireless customers can once again vote using text messaging for their favorite contestants each week, participate in weekly trivia contests, and enter the "American Idol" sweepstakes. In addition, fans can send text message-based fan mail to their favorite contestants, play interactive games, access dynamic "American Idol" content on AT&T Wireless' popular mMode service, and much more. For more information, please visit http://www.attwireless.com/idol.

About AT&T Wireless

AT&T Wireless is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 21.980 million subscribers as of December 31, 2003, and revenues of more than $16.6 billion over the past four quarters, AT&T Wireless delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications services, voice and data, to businesses and consumers, in the U.S. and internationally.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by management with information that is currently available to management. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, management's expectations regarding: our future financial and operating performance and financial condition, including the company's outlook for the fiscal year 2004 and subsequent periods; our plans to evaluate strategic alternatives and the outcome of that evaluation; subscriber growth; industry conditions; the strength of our balance sheet; our liquidity and needs for additional financing; and our ability to increase revenue, margins and operating free cash flow.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside AT&T Wireless' control that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Without limitation these factors include: the risks associated with the implementation of our technology migration strategy, our plans to evaluate strategic alternatives, our ability to continue to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of our distribution channels, the potential competitive impacts of industry consolidation or alternative technologies, potential impacts on revenue and ARPU from competitive pricing and slowing penetration in the wireless industry, the effects of vigorous competition in the markets in which we operate, the risk of decreased consumer spending due to softening economic conditions, acts of terrorism, and consumer response to new service offerings.

For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see AT&T Wireless' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under the heading "Additional Factors That May Affect Our Business, Future Operating Results and Financial Condition" and "Forward Looking Statements" in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2003.

Jeremy Pemble Danielle Perry

425-580-5997 (office) 201-576-7707 (office)

425-894-5012 (wireless) 646-256-1477 (wireless)

jeremy.pemble@attws.com danielle.perry@attws.com

AT&T Wireless

CONTACT: Jeremy Pemble, +1-425-580-5997, or wireless, +1-425-894-5012,or jeremy.pemble@attws.com, or Danielle Perry, +1-201-576-7707, or wireless,+1-646-256-1477, or danielle.perry@attws.com, both of AT&T Wireless

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

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