"Txting...It can wait"

Distracted driving kills.  Whether it is drinking and driving or texting and driving, if you are not driving and paying attention to the road and your car, you are not only endangering yourself, you are a danger to others on the road.

AT&T has been committed to bring awareness and helping prevent distracted driving.

Below is a link to a video that AT&T shot last week during a teen safety fair in Washington D.C., sponsored by a DC TV station and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) — a network of national associations and federal agencies focused on youth safety and health. (You may recall, last May AT&T announced a $1 million commitment in the fight against texting and driving. That commitment involves a contribution to NOYS to develop and train student ambassadors on anti-texting-while-driving education. The students then host summits on the topic within their schools and hometowns throughout the school year.)

As part of the D.C. teen safety fair, AT&T had a TWD Simulator on site to give teens a first-hand experience at just how much of a distraction texting and driving can be.  As you’ll see from the video, the simulator is a full-sized car. Kids get in the simulator, put on goggles and start driving, using a heads-up street display in their goggles. They then send a text message and the inevitable result is the kid crashes into a car or a pedestrian.

Link to TWD Simulator:  http://silo.mediasilo.com/weblink/FBF9900EF2686B78BA344B8D06D55ECC/22455/

Background on our “Txting While Driving … It Can Wait” campaign:

While distracted driving is an issue for all motorists, teenagers are particularly at risk.  Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and the proliferation of distracted driving among teens is a huge challenge.

That’s why AT&T”s “Txting…It Can Wait” public awareness campaign is especially focused on educating teens about the risks of texting while driving and spreading the message that text messages can wait.  Not even red lights, professionals say, signal a “safe” time to text.

As part of its campaign, AT&T has developed a powerful documentary called “The Last Text” that examines the real world consequences of texting and driving.  Each of the eight individuals in the video — whose lives have been impacted tragically by texting while driving — volunteered their stories to help educate Americans — particularly youth — on the risks of texting behind the wheel.  The documentary can be viewed online on the AT&T “It Can Wait” website and on the AT&T YouTube page.

Texting is so dangerous because it takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds.  At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field completely blind.  Studies show a driver’s reaction time is doubled when reading or sending a text, and that motorists sending a text while driving are 23 more times likely to be in a crash.

Sexting has become a recent trend with mobile users, as nearly 40% of teens reporting sexting at least once or consistently. Sexting is when one person sends a nude, or sexually suggestive picture/text of themselves to another person or a group. The consequences of sexting range from nothing, to serious. For parents, the worries are real and dangerous.

Child Pornography

The primary concern for parents is sexting that involves suggestive photos, especially nudes. Several teens have been charged with ownership of child pornography. That’s because even if two students under age 18 are dating, possession of nude photos of individuals under the age of 18 constitutes child pornography. In some cases, teens who have snapped pictures of themselves have been charged with “manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography.” Those receiving the pictures have faced, and been sentenced, to charges of possession. Convictions lead to life-long registration on sexual offender lists.

Digital World

Once the pictures have been taken, parents have more issues to worry about, namely digital records. After pictures have been taken digitally, they immediately enter a digital world where they can become permanent. One person can send the picture to another and so on until it’s been shared across the digital world. It can all start with one phone. With chat rooms and other websites, it’s easy for pedophiles and other predators to misrepresent age, sex, and location. Teens and kids are constantly connected to the web. Not only can those pictures make their way to illegal websites, they can also make their way to strangers.

Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and other social media sites are like online directories for everyone and anyone. It can be easy anyone to assume a false identity. With a couple clicks on the phone, a picture gets into the hands of the wrong person.

Psychological Factors

There are many reasons why teens take part in sexting and most of them are a new take on the old world of flirting and courting. Many teens send the texts as flirtatious messages, to boost popularity, or because of peer pressure. They can also include forms of sexual harassment, or bullying.

The ramifications for of this are undocumented in terms of sexting, but the potential psychological issues of self-esteem are wide and concerning. Adolescents and teens are entering a stage of life where body-image and self-esteem are developing. Bullying, harassment, and derogatory comments can degrade and damage morale. The effects of this can last for years or decades.

By sexting, teens put their bodies out there to be judged and critiqued. While their bodies may be healthy, teens use any chances to tease or insult another, especially if it means a chance to elevate themselves in a social clique, or in popularity. The self-esteem issues created by pictures, or suggestive language, being misconstrued, getting into unwanted hands or from unwarranted comments, can devastate teens and lead to suicide.

Cautionary Steps

Beyond eliminating and forbidding the use of all digital devices, there are other measures that parents can take to protect their teens.

The first is establishing a good relationship. Studies consistently show that parents who foster good relationships with their children have more influence on them than the media or peer pressure.

A strong relationship makes it easier for parents to approach kids about sexting and its consequences. Being honest with children about the potential legal consequences, psychological factors, and personal ethics and morals behind sexting is a good way to help them understand its seriousness.

To instill that seriousness, parents should monitor their child’s activities and friends. Much of sexting in teenagers is caused by peer pressure or social interactions. Supporting them in making the right decisions, and spending less time from those who are sexting, may be the best way to keep them safe.

Special contributor:  Steven Farrell is the administrator of ReversePhoneLookup.org, the best reverse phone directory online.

What did they say?

Whether it is texting, instant messaging, or social networking – do you really know what your teenager is saying?  They seem to have their own language and codes for things parents may not approve of.

One of my favorite new sites is Enough is Enough! And how many times as parents do we say this?

Do you feel overwhelmed about protecting children from the dangers of the virtual world?

Who doesn’t?

When it comes to teens it can be more difficult and even more important to be a parent in the know.

Let’s start with 50 Acronyms Parents Should Know:

(Courtesy of Enough is Enough and NetLingo)

1. 8 - Oral sex
2. 1337 - Elite -or- leet -or- L337
3. 143 - I love you
4. 182 - I hate you
5. 1174 - Nude club
6. 420 - Marijuana
7. 459 - I love you
8. ADR - Address
9. AEAP - As Early As Possible
10. ALAP - As Late As Possible
11. ASL - Age/Sex/Location
12. CD9 - Code 9 – it means parents are around
13. C-P - Sleepy
14. F2F - Face-to-Face
15. GNOC - Get Naked On Cam
16. GYPO - Get Your Pants Off
17. HAK - Hugs And Kisses
18. ILU - I Love You
19. IWSN - I Want Sex Now
20. J/O - Jerking Off
21. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
22. KFY -or- K4Y - Kiss For You
23. KPC - Keeping Parents Clueless
24. LMIRL - Let’s Meet In Real Life
25. MOOS - Member Of The Opposite Sex
26. MOSS - Member(s) Of The Same Sex
27. MorF - Male or Female
28. MOS - Mom Over Shoulder
29. MPFB - My Personal F*** Buddy
30. NALOPKT - Not A Lot Of People Know That
31. NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The computer
32. NMU - Not Much, You?
33. P911 - Parent Alert
34. PAL - Parents Are Listening
35. PAW - Parents Are Watching
36. PIR - Parent In Room
37. POS - Parent Over Shoulder -or- Piece Of Sh**
38. pron - porn
39. Q2C - Quick To Cum
40. RU/18 - Are You Over 18?
41. RUMORF - Are You Male OR Female?
42. RUH - Are You Horny?
43. S2R - Send To Receive
44. SorG - Straight or Gay
45. TDTM - Talk Dirty To Me
46. WTF - What The F***
47. WUF - Where You From
48. WYCM - Will You Call Me?
49. WYRN - What’s Your Real Name?
50. zerg - To gang up on someone

Be an educated parent – you will have safer teens!

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The dangers of distracted driving are well known as Oprah promoted her No Phone Zone campaign and First Coast News is sponsoring the Great Hang Up!  However we rarely see the dangers of bicycling and texting or talking on your cellphone.  Should we call it distracted riding?

As school has opened on the First Coast (Duval, Clay and St. Johns County) you can see many teenagers biking to school or their neighborhood bike spot.  How many of them have you seen reading a text or typing one while biking with one hand on handle bars.

According to the recent Nielsen Study, Florida ranks fourth in the country for cellphone usage and it was clear in the report that teens rule when it comes to texting.  Do they text while biking? Two wheel texting is more common now since school opened, while teens arrange meeting their friends and planning the social events of the day.

Start watching today, how many teens are you witnessing texting, talking and biking?  When you see this, be sure to use extra caution while approaching.  God forbid there is an accident, in many cases the driver of the car will be held accountable when it was the teen that drifted into the road by being distracted.

Stop, talk, repeat, talk again – you can never talk enough about the dangers of distracted biking or driving. Remember parents, be an example to your kids!

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens!

Watch video for potential ban on texting and biking. Read more.

More Than One-Third of Parents Concerned Teens’ Exposure to Media Hinders Parent/Child Communication about Dangers of Drug and Alcohol Use

Teens Now Spend 53 Hours a Week Immersed in Electronic Media, More Difficult for Parents to Find Time To Talk ~

NEW YORK, NY – August 10, 2010 – New omnibus[1] research from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America shows that more than one-third of parents are concerned that TV (38 percent), computers (37 percent) and video games (33 percent) make it harder for them to communicate with their media-engrossed teens about risky behaviors, like drug and alcohol use.  The survey of more than 1,200 parents also confirms that a quarter or more are worried that newer forms of media, including cell phone texting (27 percent) social networking sites, like Facebook (25 percent) and Twitter (19 percent) hinder effective parent/child communication about the dangers of teen substance abuse.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study of 2,000 teens released earlier this year[2], the average amount of time young people (8-18 year olds) spend consuming entertainment media is up dramatically to almost eight hours per day – that’s at least 53 hours a week of immersion in some form of media. The research also noted that the more media teens consume, the less happy they tend to be and those who are most captivated by media reported their academic performance suffered.  About half (47 percent) of heavy media users reported they usually get fair to poor grades, mostly C’s or lower, compared to about a quarter (23 percent) of light media users.  ……

“These new findings present a unique opportunity for parents to play a more active role in what their kids are watching, monitor how they are spending their time online and remain aware of the impact all of this media consumption is having on their impressionable teens,” said Partnership President Steve Pasierb.  “We know that kids today are bombarded with pro-drug and drinking messages via everything from song lyrics, movies and video games, to social networking sites.  Videos of kids abusing cough medicine and common household products to get high are all too accessible online and that’s why it’s more important than ever for parents to break through the media noise and make their voices heard.”

The Kaiser study notes the drastic increases in media consumption among youth are driven in large part by easy access to mobile devices like cell phones and iPod media players. Among kids and teens, cell phone ownership has increased sharply since 2004, from 39 percent to 66 percent in 2009, while ownership of iPods jumped drastically from 18 percent to 76 percent over the same time period. Overall, 20 percent of kids’ media consumption comes from mobile devices. [1] And, as kids get older and consume even more media, the level of concern among parents increases and can lead to breakdowns in parent/child communication.

“I feel the frustration that comes from my daughters’ being constantly glued to their cell phones texting and sending non-stop instant messages and watching endless hours of trashy, reality TV shows,” said Susan Wilson, mother of three teenage daughters. “But I‘ve accepted that the role that media and technology plays in the lives of our kids is not going away and, as parents, we have to meet teens where they are. We have to be willing to listen to their music, watch their movies and know about the latest TV programs our kids are watching if we’re going to stay on top of what they are exposed to.”

Wilson added, “I’ve learned that even though I proactively limit it at times, embracing technology has actually improved my communication with my family.  I‘ve had some of the most meaningful conversations with my daughters about the pressures of growing up via text messaging. Not only is that less threatening to them, but they can keep a written record of my ‘voice’ that they can refer to again later.”

As Kids Head Back to School, Take “Time To Text” Your Teens

Back-to-school season signifies a time of new beginnings for teens, yet it can also mark a time of new challenges for many young people dealing with added pressure from peers, especially when it comes to teen drug and alcohol use.  Parents are encouraged to frequently communicate with their kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol use and the Partnership’s TimeToTalk.org empowers them to recognize the influence they have in their children’s lives, while offering easy, online resources to help parents start an ongoing dialogue with their kids about avoiding risky behaviors.  Parents can learn about what teens are seeing and learning from their increased exposure to media and use those “teachable moments” as a starting point to supervise their kids’ media consumption and talk with them about the importance of making positive, healthy decisions for themselves.

Parents and caregivers who are waiting for the “right time” to talk with their kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol use may be missing key opportunities to influence their kids’ choices on this important health issue.  While nothing can take the place of in-person conversations, harnessing the communicative power of technology including emails, cell phones, and even texting, can help start a conversation with a reluctant teen.  Also, parents can reinforce these messages at times when teen drinking and drug use is more likely – after school, on weekends and during unsupervised hours.

Free Tool at TimeToTalk.org Helps Parents and Caregivers Text Their Teens

For those parents who are hesitant or don’t know how to send text messages, the Partnership has created a free, downloadable guide called “Time To Text.”  The tool is now available at TimeToTalk.org and offers quick tips on how to text, suggests examples of different messages to send to teens and even provides a cheat sheet parents can keep in their wallet.

“Some parents may still feel apprehensive about embracing media and technology as a way of communicating with their children, but, in today’s world, it is vital that they connect with their kids in any way possible,” added Pasierb. “It is important that we help bridge the technology gap between parents and ‘Generation Text’.”

# # # #

About The Partnership

The Partnership at Drugfree.org is a nonprofit organization that helps parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children. Bringing together renowned scientists, parent experts, and communications professionals, the Partnership translates current research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand resources at drugfree.org.  Through its nationwide PACT360 community education programs, the Partnership educates and mobilizes local community efforts to address drug threats at the grassroots level, including methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse, and also provides parent training and teen programs that help prevent teen substance abuse. The Partnership depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and government. The Partnership thanks SAG/AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.

Read more. WATCH VIDEO.

Contribution Honors Those Who Took AT&T’s Pledge to Not Text & Drive

MIAMI, May 20, 2010 – As part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month, AT&T* is honoring the more than 28,000 individuals who have already taken AT&T’s pledge to not text and drive by contributing $250,000 to safety organizations committed to distracted driving prevention.

Contributions were given to: National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), ConnectSafely, Enough is Enough, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), iKeepSafe, Put on the Brakes, Inc., Stay Alive Just Drive and Teens in the Driver Seat.

The recipients are committed to raising awareness about the risks of texting and driving and reminding teens that text messages can – and should – wait until after driving. The Txtng & Drivng campaign message of “It Can Wait” is particularly critical during May, National Youth Traffic Safety Month, a month when many teens are hitting the roads for prom, graduation parties, summer jobs and road trips with friends.

National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that focus on youth safety and health, is the primary recipient of the AT&T contribution. NOYS plays a major role in the efforts around National Youth Traffic Safety Month.  During May, and throughout the year, NOYS empowers youth to take action and lead through peer to peer traffic safety education and service learning.

“Our nation’s teens are the most critical audience to reach. AT&T’s contributions will help empower the recipient organizations to continue spreading the important message that ‘It Can Wait’ – no text message is worth the risk of sending or reading while behind the wheel,” said Laura Sanford, president of the AT&T Foundation. “We encourage youth, and also their parents and teachers, to take the pledge at www.facebook.com/att and visit AT&T’s online resource center www.att.com/txtngcanwait to download information about texting while driving.”

“Distracted driving is a serious issue for all drivers – especially less experienced teen drivers,” said Sandy Spavone, executive director of NOYS. “National Organizations for Youth Safety is grateful for AT&T’s support and leadership to help keep our youth safe on the road.”

Since the campaign launched in March 2010, more than 13,000 visitors to the AT&T page on Facebook have taken the pledge to not text and drive, in addition to more than 15,000 AT&T employees. AT&T continues to raise awareness about the issue of texting and driving through a multifaceted initiative to educate employees, customers and the general public about using wireless devices safely while driving.

AT&T and its employees also remain committed to this effort.  AT&T recently formed a Teen Advisory Council to provide input and feedback on the “It Can Wait” campaign. The panel, which includes 10 members – all teens of AT&T employees – from New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, Illinois and California, was selected from more than 60 self-nominations submitted nationally. It meets quarterly using AT&T’s Telepresence videoconference facilities.

Since 2009, the company has revised its wireless and motor vehicle policies to more clearly and explicitly prohibit texting and driving, impacting its approximately 280,000 employees; incorporated a don’t-text-and-drive message on the plastic clings that protect handset screens on the majority of new devices sold in AT&T’s more than 2,200 stores; and will integrate campaign messaging in AT&T catalogs, in-store signage and collateral, bills, e-mails, newsletters and more.

Find More Information Online:

Web Site Links: Related Media Kits:

AT&T Web Site  <http://www.att.com>
AT&T Wireless Web Site  <http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/welcome/index.jsp>
AT&T Texting Can Wait <http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964>
AT&T Smart Limits <http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=9122>
Text Messaging <http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2805>

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. – www.text4baby.org

How does Text4baby work?

Registration is easy and can be done online here or from your cell phone. Simply text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. You’ll be asked to enter your baby’s due date or your baby’s birthday and your zip code.

Once you are registered you will start receiving free messages with tips for your pregnancy and caring for your baby. These messages are timed to your due date or your baby’s birth date. If your due date changes, you can text UPDATE to 511411 and enter your new due date.

Although this is a great service and actually speaks a language teens understand, it is not a free pass to have a baby when you are not emotionally or financially ready.  If you have watched these shows, you will see many of these teen moms, as much as they love their children, agree this can change your life in many ways.

Your teen years are no longer your own, your life is not about you and going out with your friends.  Usually your friends have moved on and going to college.  Although many teen moms can and will complete their High School or get a GED, many will conclude that is not easy.

Follow Text2Baby on Twitter!

Read more and watch video on how Text4Baby works.

S-E-X, this is one of the most difficult and sensitive subjects parents dread to talk to their kids about, but it is also just as critical.  Now let’s compound it with technology and teens and we can create sexting!

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Cosmo Girl have recently released the results of a new survey.  Results from this new survey show that 21% of teen girls and 18% of teen boys have sent/ posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves. What is going on with teens, tech, and sex?

Tips for parents from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy include:

1. Talk to your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace. Just as you need to talk openly and honestly with your kids about real life sex and relationships, you also want to discuss online and cell phone activity. Read more.

2. Know who your kids are communicating with. Of course it’s a given that you want to know who your children are spending time with when they leave the house. Read more.

3. Consider limitations on electronic communication.The days of having to talk on the phone in the kitchen in front of the whole family are long gone, but you can still limit the time your kids spend online and on the phone. Read more.

4. Be aware of what your teens are posting publicly. Check out your teen’s MySpace, Facebook and other public online profiles from time to time. This isn’t snooping-this is information your kids are making public. Read more.

5. Set expectations. Make sure you are clear with your teen about what you consider appropriate “electronic” behavior. Read more.

More articles of interest:

Should you read your teen’s diary?
Should you read your teen’s emails and text messages?
Is honestly the best policy?
Not my kid

Nastygrams: Think before you send

In Florida, SafeFlorida.net was created to help prevent cyber crimes, educate parents, assist teens and more in the growing digital cyberspace.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens.

• Half of teens send 50 or more text messages a day, or 1,500 texts a month. One in three send more than 100 texts a day (or more than 3,000 texts a month.)
• 15% of teen texters send more than 200 texts a day, or more than 6,000 texts a month.
• Boys send and receive 30 texts a day; girls typically send and receive 80 messages per day.
• Teen texters ages 12-13 typically send and receive 20 texts a day.
• 14-17 year-old texters typically send and receive 60 text messages a day.
• Older girls who text are the most active, with 14-17 year-old girls typically sending 100 or more messages a day or more than 3,000 texts a month.
• 22% of teen texters send and receive just one to 10 texts a day, or 30 to 300 texts a month.

Is this a time parents need to pick and choose issues of concern?  Yes and no.  There are many other more serious issues such as drug abuse or gang relations, however if your teen is obsessed or addicted to texting, it may be time to intervene.  Give your teen limits, and be sure there is a time that the phones are simply turned off.

Having consequences in place and following through with them can help convey to your teen that you are serious.  Teens need to learn how to “talk” to others outside of texting. Parents should be concerned that all the texting may alter their ability to communicate effectively.

When it is time to apply to colleges or interview for a job, will they have the verbal skills they need? At last glance, you can’t text your way into employment or into a college.

In Florida, there is a bill in legislation that will ban texting and driving.  Although many know the  dangers of texting and driving, many still do it.  Stress to your teens, no text is worth dying over.  Encourage your teens to take the pledge and join thousands of others that are putting the cell phone aside as they drive.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.

Watch video and read more on Teen Cell Phone Addiction.

The national campaign features true stories and the text message that was sent or received before someone’s life was altered, or even ended,because of texting and driving.

Stop what you’re doing. Take out your wireless device. Read out loud the last text message you received. Would reading or responding to that text message while driving be worth causing a serious accident? When you look at it that way, there’s no text that couldn’t wait.

AT&T* is launching today a new campaign to raise awareness about the risks of texting and driving and remind all wireless consumers, especially youth, that text messages can – and should – wait until after driving.

The national campaign features true stories and the text message that was sent or received before someone’s life was altered, or even ended, because of texting and driving. By featuring real stories, the campaign will demonstrate how insignificant a text message is compared to the potentially dire consequences of reading or responding while driving.

For example, in one of the television spots, the text “Where u at?” flashes on the screen and a mother says, “This is the text my daughter was reading when she drove into oncoming traffic.” The ad also includes the message “No text is worth dying over” and the campaign’s tagline, “Txtng & Drivng … It Can Wait.”

“We explored several campaign concepts but we didn’t have our ‘aha!’ moment until we asked one of our focus groups to take out their devices and read the last text they received,” said Cathy Coughlin, senior executive vice president and global marketing officer for AT&T. “When we asked if that particular message was worth the potential risk of reading while driving at 65 mph, you could have heard a pin drop. That’s when we realized the message ‘it can wait’ was effective in educating consumers about the dangers of texting while driving.”

The new campaign will span print, radio, TV and online advertising – which will be rolled out in the coming months – as well as in-store signage, collateral and online billing. In addition, parents, high school educators and, most importantly, youth, can now visit AT&T’s online resource center www.att.com/txtngcanwait. The site includes downloadable information about texting while driving such as a parent-teen pledge; a teen-teen pledge; a poster; a brochure; safety tips; and more.

AT&T also has launched a Facebook application, which can be found at www.facebook.com/att. Friends can share this application with one another to encourage each other to take the pledge to not text and drive. AT&T will also be promoting the pledge via a “twitition” on Twitter to ask followers to rally around the cause. You can follow @ShareATT on Twitter. In addition, to honor those taking the pledge, AT&T will contribute $250,000 to one or more non-profit organizations focused on youth safety and will announce the selected non-profit organization(s) at the start of National Youth Safety Month in May.

“While our campaign is important for all drivers, we’re particularly focused on youth,” said Coughlin.

In September 2009, AT&T announced a commitment to raise awareness about the issue of texting and driving through a multifaceted initiative to educate employees, customers and the general public about using wireless devices safely while driving.

Since then, AT&T has revised its wireless and motor vehicle policies to more clearly and explicitly prohibit texting and driving, impacting its approximately 280,000 employees; incorporated a don’t-text-and-drive message on the plastic clings that protect handset screens on the majority of new devices sold in AT&T’s more than 2,200 stores; and will integrate campaign messaging in AT&T catalogs, in-store signage and collateral, bills, e-mails, newsletters and more.

By using multiple touch points, AT&T expects the campaign to reach millions.

* 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 – News) 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 Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing, advertising sales and interactive local search applications. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.

About Philanthropy at AT&T

For over 25 years, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have been committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2009, nearly $155 million was contributed through corporate, employee, and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.

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  news on Twitter at @ATTNews. On Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about consumer and wireless services or at www.facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.