AT&T U-verse Arrives in Central Illinois

AT&T U-verse Arrives in Central Illinois

Champaign and Springfield Customers Get New TV Service That Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction in J.D. Power and Associates Study

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Central Illinois residents now have a new choice for their television and communications services, powered by the most advanced technology. AT&T* today announced the launch of AT&T U-verse(SM) services in parts of Champaign, Danville, Decatur and Springfield, including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice.

AT&T U-verse services, which are all delivered over AT&T's advanced Internet Protocol (IP) network, offer a new alternative to cable and an unmatched experience for customers. AT&T U-verse brings together your TV, broadband, home phone and wireless services - all on one bill - with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control. AT&T U-verse TV ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction in the North Central Region," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study(SM).

"Today's launch of AT&T U-verse reflects our commitment to make the investments necessary to bring consumers across Central Illinois a new era of true video competition," said Paul La Schiazza, AT&T Illinois president. "We are thrilled to offer this innovative video choice to Central Illinois customers. Local residents have asked for more choices in television service and today we're delivering."

AT&T U-verse is being expanded in Illinois thanks to legislation passed in 2007 and supported by State Senators Larry Bomke and Bill Brady and State Representatives Raymond Poe, Rich Brauer, Robert Flider and Bill Mitchell. The Cable and Video Competition Law provides an environment that encourages new video providers, such as AT&T Illinois, to invest in Illinois to compete against incumbent cable providers.

"Competition on the field, in politics, and in business is healthy. And competition in business is good for consumers. I applaud AT&T for their efforts to offer video services to consumers. Options and choice are what help bring down costs and allow comparison shopping," said U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (IL), a senior member of the U.S. House Communications, Technology & Internet Subcommittee.

"Cable has been the only game in town for too long, and we're excited to change that today in Central Illinois," said Kevin Petersen, vice president and general manager, AT&T Illinois. "We know customers want a better choice to break free from cable, and AT&T U-verse is the answer. And we'll continue to make U-verse TV even better for customers with regular upgrades and new cool applications that enhance your TV experience."

More Choice, Advanced Features

AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and application-rich services available today, with advanced capabilities that customers don't get from other providers.

Where AT&T U-verse services are available, local U-verse TV customers can enjoy numerous TV benefits, including the exclusive ability to watch and manage recordings from a single DVR on any connected TV in the house with U-verse Total Home DVR; an extensive High Definition (HD) channel lineup with more than 100 HD channels; the ability to program DVR recordings from your Web-connected mobile phone or PC; personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; the ability to view personal photos on your TV that you have uploaded to flickr.com; the ability to check the current weather conditions and forecasts in any U.S. city with Weather On Demand; and more.

With AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet services, every AT&T U-verse customer or small business broadband user can enjoy faster available speeds. Packages include a range of speeds, with the fastest downstream speeds up to 18 Mbps. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet packages include wireless home or office networking at no extra cost, and access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network with unlimited connectivity at more than 20,000 hot spot locations.

AT&T U-verse Voice is a managed IP-based service that is delivered over the AT&T's fiber-rich network. This allows U-verse Voice customers to enjoy great sound quality and reliability, as well as unmatched calling features that combine with your AT&T U-verse TV, broadband and wireless services. Customers benefit from a single, combined voice mailbox for AT&T U-verse Voice and AT&T wireless messages; U-verse Central, an online portal to manage your call preferences and settings from any PC; an online voice mailbox; the ability to view your call logs from your PC or your recent incoming calls on your TV screen; the ability to initiate a call from your PC or TV using Click to Call; and more. All U-verse Voice customers have 911 service.

AT&T U-verse offers multiple combinations of TV, Internet and Voice packages to customize your experience. The most popular AT&T U-verse TV offers start at $49 a month (taxes, fees and other monthly charges apply). Professional installation is included, and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee. Additional promotional offers are available to qualifying customers who bundle U-verse Internet or Voice service.

AT&T U-verse customers who want the complete home entertainment experience can also benefit from AT&T ConnecTech, an in-home care solution for virtually any technology or entertainment need, including computer, networking, TV, home theater installation, repair and maintenance. For more information, visit www.att.com/connectech.

"Many central Illinois residents finally have more choices for video service at competitive prices and our community benefits from the significant investment it takes to deliver this service to local consumers," said State Senator Larry Bomke (50th District). "When companies compete, consumers and our economy win."

For additional information on AT&T U-verse - or to find out if it's available in your area - visit http://uverse.att.com/, call 800-ATT-2020 or visit one of the following AT&T Illinois retail locations:

-- 1327 Savoy Plaza Ln, Savoy, IL 61874
-- 2357 W Monroe St, Springfield, IL 62704

-- 1311 S 6th St, Springfield, IL 62703

*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.

Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

IMPORTANT OFFER INFORMATION: Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.uverse.att.com to see if you qualify. All promotional offers expire 9/19/09. Residential customers only; Prices, programming, and offers subject to change without notice. Internet speed claim(s) represent maximum downstream and/or upstream speed capabilities. Speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Many factors can affect actual speeds including the use of other U-verse services. Credit and other restrictions apply. Purchase of U-verse TV required to order AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet. Channel counts include optional channels available in plan; Wireless networking may require adapter purchased separately; Fiber-optics apply to part or all of the network depending on your location. Other Charges: Taxes, city video cost recovery fees, and other fees extra; Equipment rental fees included in monthly service charges. Installation Included: Offer ends 9/19/09. No charge for standard professional installation for new AT&T U-verse customers ordering qualifying U-verse TV packages. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee: Offer ends 9/19/09. Residential customers ordering new U-verse service may cancel all AT&T U-verse services within 30 days from service activation. Money-Back Guarantee includes adjustment only of initial installation charges and one month service charges, if paid; Customer is responsible for all additional charges including but not limited to Video on Demand, Pay Per View, international calls, other pay-per-use features and non-returned equipment charges. HD Service. A monthly $10 HD Technology Fee applies for access to HD service. Subscription to an AT&T U-verse programming package and an HDTV required for optimized HD viewing experience. HD channel availability varies by package selected. HD Premium Tier available for an additional $5 per month and requires subscription to HD service for $10 per month. Four channels can be recorded to the DVR or viewed simultaneously, up to 2 can be HD, subject to availability. Full Total Home DVR functionality requires a receiver for each additional TV at $7 per month each. DVR not included with U100 package. Wi-Fi: Based on non-municipal company-owned and operated hotspots. Wi-Fi access not included with AT&T WorldNet service. An 802.11b/g enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See attwifi.com for additional services, details and locations. Wi-Fi at Starbucks available at U.S. company operated Starbucks locations with a hotspot.

AT&T U-verse services are provided by AT&T local telephone companies. Customizing options require AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Service. Wireless phone with Internet access required and standard data charges may apply.

AT&T U-verse Voice: Available in limited areas and only with purchase of AT&T U-verse TV. Prices subject to change. Residential customers only. Installation, Universal Service Fund Fees, taxes, fees, and other charges apply. International calls billed at additional per-minute rates; higher rates may apply for calls terminating on mobile phones or other wireless devices. U-verse Voice, including 911 dialing, will not function during power outage without battery backup power. Non-returned equipment charges will apply if equipment is not returned within required timeframe upon disconnect of services. Service is not portable; will function only in your home. May be incompatible with monitored home alarms and medical monitoring systems. Refer to Learn More pages for U-verse Voice at http://www.uverse.att.com/ for more information on 911, battery backup, and home alarms. Acceptance of Terms of Service and 911 Acknowledgement required. Credit and other restrictions apply. AT&T U-verse Messaging may not be fully compatible with all AT&T wireless voice mail systems. Unlimited Plan: Includes unlimited calling within the U.S. and to Canada and U.S. Territories. 250 Plan: Includes 250 minutes of calling within the U.S. and to U.S. Territories; 5 cents/minute thereafter. Minutes are rounded up.

AT&T ConnecTech(R) Services: Residential customers only. Not available in all areas. All offers are limited-time offers, taxes and surcharges extra, and service-specific terms and conditions apply. Wireless Network Set-up: Compatible hardware and software required. Computer Repair: AT&T not responsible for loss of data. Service is an incident-specific, reasonable-effort repair service for certain products and applications listed at www.att.com/connectech.

AT&T received the highest numerical score among television service providers in the North Central region in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on 18,938 total responses from measuring 11 providers in the North Central region (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) and measures consumer satisfaction with television service. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in July 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

Source: AT&T Inc.

CONTACT: Meghan Roskopf of AT&T Inc., +1-312-932-2818,
mroskopf@attnews.us

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

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