AT&T Becomes The Official Wireless Provider For U.S. Disney Parks

DALLAS, July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* and Disney Parks today announced an agreement that makes AT&T the official wireless provider for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

Through the agreement, AT&T will have various marketing and branding opportunities, including sponsoring Disney-created soccer and runDisney events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  In addition, Disney will join AT&T to educate Cast Members and guests about "It Can Wait®," AT&T's groundbreaking initiative to educate consumers about the dangers of texting while driving.  AT&T and Disney will also collaborate to enhance the experience for the growing number of Disney guests using smartphones and tablets during their visit.  Furthermore, Cast Members will use new mobile devices on AT&T's network to help deliver Disney's legendary guest service.

"This is a great combination," said Andy Geisse, Chief Executive Officer for AT&T Business Solutions. "Bringing AT&T's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network and mobile connectivity to one of the most creative companies on earth is something we're excited about.  I'm confident Disney's guests and Cast Members will be thrilled with the experience we deliver."

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with AT&T," said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France.  "This alliance joins two companies that share a commitment to providing quality experiences, and we look forward to the collaboration as we continue to leverage technology to enhance the experience for our guests."

AT&T is also enhancing its network across Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort using a variety of technologies including:

• More than 25 distributed antenna systems to increase the wireless capacity in areas with high mobile traffic
• More than 350 small cells to extend network connectivity
• 10 cell sites across Walt Disney World Resort to provide wide-ranging mobile service to guests
• More than 40 repeaters to further enhance the mobile experience for both guests and Cast Members

AT&T's 4G LTE Network

The great performance of AT&T's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing:

• AT&T now has the most reliable 4G LTE network. According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.**
• Meanwhile, our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive's most recent 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T's as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested. ***
• And AT&T was named America's fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine's 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest. ****
• In addition, RootMetrics® has awarded AT&T's network for great performance, naming it the strongest overall for call, text, and data performance in multiple markets from January through June of this year.*****

* 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.

** Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers' average 4G LTE download speeds for Android™ and Windows smartphones and iPhone 5. Reliability claim compares data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G speeds not available everywhere.

*** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, "AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo"

**** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp

***** Visit rootmetrics.com for more details. Performance rankings of four national wireless carriers rely on scores calculated from random samples. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of AT&T.  AT&T ranked highest or shared the highest ranking for overall performance in 66 of 125 markets tested, Jan-Jun, 2013.

ABOUT WALT DISNEY PARKS AND RESORTS

More than 50 years ago, Walt Disney created a new kind of entertainment families could experience together, immersed in detailed atmospheres and vibrant storytelling. His vision now includes a collection of five of the world's leading family vacation destinations – Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.; Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France; and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, located on Lantau Island. A sixth resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, is currently under construction in Pudong New District, Shanghai. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes the world-class Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club; Adventures by Disney, a guided group vacation experience to some of the world's most popular destinations; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs all Disney parks, resorts, cruise ships, entertainment and attractions.

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 internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, 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.

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 our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise. 

SOURCE AT&T Inc.