AT&T Expands OPT-E-MAN Offer to Include New Transport Speeds


New Options Enable AT&T Wholesale Customers to Efficiently Map Interconnections to Their SONET Infrastructure

SAN ANTONIO, July 10 -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that AT&T* is expanding its switched Optical Ethernet Metropolitan Area Network (OPT-E-MAN(R)) service to include 150 Mbps and 600 Mbps Committed Information Rate (CIR) for its wholesale customers. The new option is available in California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Connecticut.

OPT-E-MAN service is a broadband data transport service that uses switched optical Ethernet to transport data traffic within a metropolitan service area (MSA) or to access wholesale customers' wide area network (WAN) applications.

"OPT-E-MAN service provides our wholesale customers with an economical way to expand their networks to meet increases in local bandwidth requirements, along with 24/7 monitoring to help reduce management responsibilities and service costs," said Sherry Charles, vice president, Wholesale Segment Marketing, AT&T Operations, Inc.

OPT-E-MAN service employs Ethernet local area network (LAN) packets running over optical fiber, either within or as access to a service provider's network. OPT-E-MAN service provides a Layer 2 switched metro Ethernet service, enabling customers to connect any two or more locations together as access within a metro service area. The service offers virtual point-to-point, point- to-multipoint and multipoint-to-multipoint data configurations. With OPT-E-MAN service, customers can create a scalable optical service that provides flexible bandwidth options from 5 Mbps to 1 Gbps.

The expansion comes on the heels of a recent FCC decision that allows AT&T to negotiate individual OPT-E-MAN service arrangements in areas where AT&T has received Phase I pricing flexibility. This flexibility allows AT&T to provide services in ways that better meet customers' needs and leads to more competitive offerings and price levels.

"These new speed options, coupled with our recent pricing relief, enable AT&T Wholesale to better serve our customers as their Ethernet needs continue to expand," Charles said.

AT&T's Ethernet portfolio recently received industry recognition at the NXTcomm trade show in Chicago. AT&T's entire suite of Ethernet services was certified by the Metro Ethernet Forum's (MEF) test lab and passed the industry association's most stringent MEF-14 evaluation for performance. AT&T also received the "Most Innovative Carrier Ethernet Service (Diversified)" award from New Paradigm Resources Group, Inc. (NPRG) and Telephony magazine. The award recognized AT&T for its cutting-edge solutions and demonstration of its forward-thinking innovation.

AT&T offers a full portfolio of end-to-end reliable and highly secure network, data and Internet Protocol (IP) solutions to the six wholesale industry segments that it serves -- carriers, wireless operators, cable providers, systems integrators, Internet service providers and content providers. AT&T is one of the largest wholesale transport and communications service providers in the world and reaches virtually every dialable country. AT&T brings value to its customers through global networking, vertical expertise and comprehensive solutions.

AT&T also offers OPT-E-MAN service for business customers. Designed for broadband connections across a local area, OPT-E-MAN service can be a simple and economical high-bandwidth solution for business customers by offering state-to-state links when connected to a company's virtual private network.

*Through AT&T California, AT&T Kansas, AT&T Oklahoma, AT&T Arkansas, AT&T Texas, AT&T Missouri, AT&T Wisconsin, AT&T Illinois, AT&T Indiana, AT&T Michigan, AT&T Ohio and AT&T Connecticut.

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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 and the nation's leading wireless, 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 its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. 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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CONTACT: Wendi Fuller of AT&T Inc., +1-214-665-1306, wfuller@attnews.us

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