DALLAS/FORT WORTH SELECTED FOR AT&T’S LARGEST-EVER NETWORK DISASTER RECOVERY EXERCISE

Exercises Test and Evaluate the Company''s Disaster Response Systems, Strengthen Business-Continuity Support for Enterprise Customers

DALLAS, Jan. 25, 2006 — As area businesses and residents continue to be on alert for wildfires throughout the state, AT&T Inc. will conduct its largest Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) exercise at the INFOMART in Dallas, February 8 – 15, 2006.

Self-contained equipment trucks will test and evaluate how well the company can support its enterprise business customers in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. In all of the NDR exercises that AT&T has conducted in the 16-year history of the NDR program, there has never before been an exercise that has featured 43 trailers, 30 of which are semi-trailers.

The NDR exercise, conducted several times each year, is part of AT&T’s comprehensive business-continuity plan to ensure that communications can be restored quickly to its business and government customers if a disaster damages or destroys parts of its network. Experience gained from the exercise is used to strengthen business-continuity services for AT&T’s enterprise customers and to refine the company’s own disaster response systems. AT&T has the only mobile, full-readiness NDR team in the industry, allowing it to monitor, manage and proactively protect the networks of its business customers around the world.

“Last year, residents and businesses throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area stepped forward to help the victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes recover from disaster, but it is important to recognize our own vulnerabilities,” said Christopher Roy, AT&T’s sales center vice president in Dallas. “We hope that AT&T’s NDR exercise serves as a reminder for businesses to plan ahead and test their plans regularly.”

AT&T has invested more than $300 million in its NDR program. The NDR team includes specially trained managers, engineers and technicians from across the United States, as well as a fleet of more than 150 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.

In addition to supporting AT&T''s network, the NDR team also uses its mobile satellite capabilities to provide communications support for humanitarian relief efforts. This is accomplished by establishing satellite links to the AT&T network for use by relief organizations and government agencies. AT&T Emergency Communications Vehicles (ECVs) may also be deployed to provide calling capability for people isolated from their normal communications channels because of widespread disasters and/or evacuations.

Since 1990, the NDR team has been activated 21 times in response to disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that devastated the Gulf Coast last year, the wildfires in San Diego in 2003 and the September 11 (2001) attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center. 

As part of the overall NDR exercise, AT&T is hosting a Networking Leaders’ Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The event will bring together AT&T executives, business customers and outside experts to discuss the latest trends in business continuity and disaster recovery.  

More information on AT&T’s NDR program is available at www.att.com/ndr.

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About the New AT&T

AT&T Inc. is one of the world’s largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high-speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services.  AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with more than 52 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at www.TheNewATT.com.

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Editor’s Note:  Members of the media are invited to visit the exercise anytime from Thursday, Feb. 9, through Wednesday, Feb. 15, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the exception of Sunday, Feb. 12. Access to the site and interviews must be prearranged.  Please call Kerry Hibbs at (972) 778-2081 for more information.