Provider Stages Emergency Response Equipment in Strategic Locations Ready to Respond and Offers Communications Tips for Residents and Small Businesses

MIAMI, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As residents and businesses throughout the Southeast and Florida recover from the impact of Hurricane Gustav as well as Tropical Storm Fay, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is also taking steps to prepare equipment and facilities for a potential strike by Hurricane Ike.

In preparation for Hurricane Ike, the company is identifying areas for the staging of equipment for post-Ike response, testing high-capacity backup batteries and topping off fuel for generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers.

The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to create and maintain its Network Disaster Recovery capabilities that include an extensive fleet of mobile command centers, mobile cell sites, emergency equipment and personnel resources standing by should it be needed.

A critical element of AT&T's efforts to maximize network reliability is the company's ability to swiftly respond when disaster strikes. This is made possible by AT&T's pre-season and pre-storm preparation which includes:

    -- Ongoing readiness drills
    -- Refueling generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers
    -- Testing high-capacity backup batteries
    -- Adding capacity to the wireless network
    -- Deploying additional generators. AT&T has more than 4,500 permanent and
       portable generators in the Southeast. Cell sites in hurricane prone
       areas are equipped with these generators and can run for up to 36 hours
       during commercial power outages.
    -- Staging generators and additional emergency response equipment in safe
       locations for their immediate deployment once the storm has passed

AT&T is committed to providing reliable communications before, during and after a storm, and delivering the highest levels of service quality for customers under all circumstances. Millions of residential and business customers depend on AT&T for critical voice, data and video communications, as well as entertainment services.

With Florida residents preparing for Hurricane Ike, AT&T is providing important communications tips for residents and small businesses to use before, during and after a storm.

    Consumer Tips:
    -- Have a family communications plan in place.