More Than 1 Million Chicagoland Consumers Benefit From Video Choice With AT&T U-verse TV

More Than 1 Million Chicagoland Consumers Benefit From Video Choice With AT&T U-verse TV

CHICAGO, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Video competition has reached Chicagoland in a big way, meaning more local residents and their televisions can cut ties with cable. AT&T* today announced that AT&T U-verse(SM) TV, Internet and Voice services are now available to more than one million living units in and around the Chicagoland area.

In just over a year since the launch of AT&T U-verse services in the Chicagoland area, AT&T U-verse TV has continued to rapidly expand and redefine the television experience for Illinois consumers. U-verse TV is offered today in parts of more than 270 area communities, including Joliet, Waukegan, Mundelein, St. Charles and Crystal Lake, and AT&T plans to continue reaching even more customers on an ongoing basis.

"Now even more consumers can forget about cable and see what the U-verse TV experience is all about," said Paul La Schiazza, AT&T Illinois president. "This video choice is exceeding all expectations in Illinois, and we keep making it even better by bringing more HD channels and unique integrated features and applications to our customers. Our U-verse progress reflects our commitment to make the investments necessary to bring consumers across Illinois true video competition and innovation."

AT&T U-verse is being expanded in Illinois thanks to legislation crafted with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, House and Senate leadership and bill sponsors State Rep. Jim Brosnahan and State Senator James Clayborne. The Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007, supported overwhelming by the Illinois General Assembly, encourages new video providers, such as AT&T Illinois, to invest in Illinois to compete against incumbent cable providers by removing barriers to entering the market.

"In just a year, more Illinois consumers finally have a choice for video and cable services thanks to this new law," said North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham. "Consumers in my community appreciate the work of the General Assembly to set a policy that encourages competition and investment in Illinois. Consumers are the winners when companies have to compete for their business."

AT&T U-verse has been well-received by Illinois residents and consumers across the country. AT&T U-verse TV ranked "Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the North Central Region," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study(SM).

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 feature-rich services available today. Since the U-verse launch in Chicagoland, AT&T has continued to make the U-verse TV experience better for consumers. For example, AT&T U-verse TV launched Total Home DVR, which allows viewers to watch their recorded programs on any connected TV in the home, and has added several interactive applications at no extra charge, including the ability to view personal photos on your TV that you have uploaded to flickr.com; the ability to view tournament brackets and game summaries with College Basketball from Yahoo! Sports; and more.

AT&T has also regularly added new channels, including a recent expansion of the U-verse TV High Definition (HD) channel lineup in early March. Chicagoland U-verse TV customers can now enjoy access to more than 100 HD channels -- exceeding the HD channel lineups offered by the local cable providers.

AT&T expanded its U-verse offers with the introduction of AT&T U-verse Voice in September 2008, a managed IP-based digital voice service that is delivered over 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.

As part of its ongoing expansion to surpass one million living units, AT&T U-verse services are available to residents in several downtown properties through customized AT&T Connected Communities agreements, which work with multifamily property owners and real estate developers to provide next-generation communications and entertainment services to residents.

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 AT&T Illinois retail locations.

*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. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. 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/.

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IMPORTANT OFFER INFORMATION: AT&T U-verse services are provided by AT&T local telephone companies. Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.uverse.att.com to see if you qualify. Residential customers only; Prices, programming, and offers subject to change without notice. Purchase of U-verse TV required to order AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet. Credit and other restrictions apply; Channel counts include optional channels available in plan; Fiber-optics apply to part or all of the network depending on your location. Other Charges: Taxes, video cost recovery fees, and other fees extra; Equipment rental fees included in monthly service 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. 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. Full Total Home DVR functionality requires a receiver for each additional TV at $7 per month each. Customizing options require AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Service. Wireless remote access requires WAP 2.0-compliant cell phone or other handheld device.

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 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.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

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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Profile: International Entertainment