AT&T Ready for Tropical Storm Ida Along the Florida Panhandle

Offers Communications Tips for Local Consumers and Businesses

PENSACOLA, Fla., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With Tropical Storm Ida
approaching the Florida Panhandle, AT&T* today announced it stands ready with
an arsenal of disaster response equipment and personnel for a quick response
post-landfall. To help local consumers and businesses prepare, AT&T is also
providing important communications tips for use before, during and after the
storm.

AT&T has invested more than $500 million in its Network Disaster Response
(NDR) organization, which includes more than 600 technology and equipment
trailers that can be quickly deployed anywhere worldwide to respond to a
disaster situation, such as a severe hurricane. AT&T invested $145 million in
recovery and restoration efforts related to the 2008 hurricanes that included
the opening of a third NDR equipment warehouse in the Southeast.

A critical element of AT&T's efforts to maximize network reliability is its
ability to swiftly respond when disaster strikes, made possible by extensive
standard pre-season and pre-storm preparations. These include: ongoing
readiness drills, topping off fuel at generators positioned at cell sites and
switching centers, testing high-capacity back-up batteries, distributing
additional extended battery life and portable generators, using natural gas in
a portion of permanent generators to eliminate need for refueling, adding
capacity to wireless network, and staging of additional emergency response
equipment in strategic locations near the anticipated landfall area.

AT&T continues to enhance network redundancy in hurricane-prone areas. These
efforts include installation of more back-up and permanent generators at
critical cell sites and switching facilities, location of critical equipment
to less vulnerable areas, upgrade of electronics in many locations,
replacement of copper wiring with fiber optic cable, elevation of switches
critical to network operations above expected flood levels and protection of
physical facilities against flooding.

AT&T offers the following recommendations for consumers and small business
owners before and after the storm hits:

Consumer Tips:
-- Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of
the
area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members
know
whom to contact if they become separated. Most important, practice
your
emergency plans in advance.
-- Be sure you have a "Hurricane Phone." It's a good idea to have a
wireless phone on hand and at least one corded (landline) telephone
that
is not dependent on electricity in case of a power outage. Cordless
telephones usually have receivers that are electrically charged, so
they
won't work if you lose your power.
-- Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses
into
your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire
station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an
alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage,
such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or
having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone
batteries
on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during
a
hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by
storing it in a plastic bag or some other type of protective covering.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an
evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone
central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone
even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the
unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services
such
as voice mail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call
forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless
device.
Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless
device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather
reports through AT&T Mobile TV or keep updated with local radar and
severe weather alerts through My-Cast® Weather, if you subscribe to
those services.
-- If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos -- and even
video clips -- of damaged property to your insurance company from your
device.

-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology. Services such as
AT&T Navigator and AT&T FamilyMap can help you seek evacuation routes
or
avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as
track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.

Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location.
Set
up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees'
families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all
parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this
to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including
mobile
and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc.
Routinely
back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for
supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other
mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged
hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans.
Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup
location for your business and meeting place for all employees.

-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with
neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that
disasters
affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for
supply chain continuity for business essentials.

Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- During an emergency, more people are trying to use their phones at the
same time. The increased calling volume may create network congestion,
leading to "fast busy" signals on your wireless phone or a slow dial
tone on your landline phone. If this happens, hang up, wait several
seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call
data
to clear the network before you try again.
-- Try wireless text/short messaging service (SMS). During an emergency
situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice
calls
because they require less network resources. All of AT&T's wireless
devices are text messaging capable. Also, if you have a wireless data
device (smartphone), you can use its messaging capabilities to
communicate. Depending on the call plan, additional charges may apply.

-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the
most
important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people
will
be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business
associates.

Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at
www.att.com/vitalconnections.

*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® 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
or at www.facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business
services.

© 2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo
and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual
Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and
other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties,
and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may
affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise
statements contained in this news release based on new information or
otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Sue Sperry of AT&T, Office, +1-504-528-2298, or Mobile, +1-504-460-2565,
sue.sperry@att.com