1.2 Billion Customer Connections Made to Nearly 30,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots in 2011

DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As more and more consumers log on from smartphones, tablets and other devices, connections on the AT&T* Wi-Fi network continue to skyrocket.

Key facts as of year-end 2011:

• Nearly tripled AT&T Wi-Fi network traffic in 2011 versus network traffic for 2010.
• 550 percent increase in monthly Wi-Fi data uploads from mobile devices on the AT&T Wi-Fi network in 2011.
• 1.2 billion AT&T Wi-Fi connections made during 2011, with 486.9 million connections made in the fourth quarter.
• Connections more than tripled in the fourth quarter versus 154 million connections made in the fourth quarter 2010.
• More than three million connections per day to the AT&T Wi-Fi Network by users, exceeding total connections made in the month of December in 2008.
• More than 60 percent growth in AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots from 2008 through 2011.

"As AT&T Wi-Fi connections and usage soar at hospitality locations, retail stores, stadiums and enterprise businesses, venues are benefitting by making Wi-Fi available to their customers and employees," said Angie Wiskocil, Senior Vice President, AT&T Wi-Fi Services. "This extraordinary growth confirms that customers understand the benefits of AT&T Wi-Fi. It's fast, reliable and convenient access that doesn't count against their monthly data plans."

The AT&T Wi-Fi network continues to scale rapidly. AT&T customers can connect to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with nearly 30,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots and growing. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn't count against customers' monthly wireless data plans. AT&T Wi-Fi monthly data uploads from mobile devices increased 550 percent in 2011, driven by increasing use of cloud services. AT&T customers continue to rely on the Wi-Fi network to sync photos, stream movies and music, update software, and back-up and share data on smartphones, tablets and laptops.

AT&T continues to deploy free Wi-Fi hotzones to provide convenient connectivity for AT&T customers in high traffic areas. Just this week, AT&T launched a new Wi-Fi hotzone in downtown Indianapolis to support high profile events in the area in coming weeks. The seventh major market hotzone adds to those already available in key cities like Palo Alto, San Francisco, Chicago and New York City. To date, AT&T has launched free Wi-Fi at 19 park locations in New York City. In 2011, New York City parks visitors made more than 1 million connections to the AT&T Wi-Fi network.

More large venues and enterprises are choosing AT&T Wi-Fi Services to deploy and manage their Wi-Fi networks. This quarter, AT&T announced an agreement with a new sporting venue to offer AT&T Wi-Fi inside the arena to keep visitors connected and engaged with the arena experience.

Additionally, AT&T recently completed its acquisition of Montreal-based Wi-Fi management services provider Superclick, Inc., which will expand our services and platforms to deliver premium services in the high-end hospitality sector, domestically and internationally. Hotel locations account for approximately 45 percent of the total AT&T Wi-Fi network traffic, driven by business travelers and longer connection times during guests' stay. 

*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.

**Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. 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 mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV 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 are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. 

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.