Xcel Energy Center Launches 'Wild' New Fan Experience With AT&T Wi-Fi

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- How do you turn an ice rink into a hot spot? Just add AT&T Wi-Fi. Starting this season, Xcel Energy Center is the place to be for a personalized hockey fan experience.  Minnesota Wild fans and visitors to the venue now have access to AT&T Wi-Fi from their seats, using any Wi-Fi enabled device.

Xcel Energy Center is the first National Hockey League (NHL) venue to offer AT&T Wi-Fi. Inside the venue, there are 274 Wi-Fi access points covering seats, concession stands and concourse areas. Fans can easily connect to the AT&T Wi-Fi network, and visitors with an AT&T smartphone or device can automatically connect without any log in required.

With the new Wi-Fi service, fans can customize their experience with Mywildnet.com, offering interactive features including:

• Food Ordering: Hungry fans can use the Bypass Lane mobile feature to locate vendors throughout Xcel Energy Center and even place food orders from their seats. Xcel Energy Center is the first venue in this market to use the Bypass Lane.
• Live In-Arena Instant Replays: Minnesota Wild fans attending a game at Xcel Energy Center can access instant replays not shown on TV or the center-hung scoreboard.

"Our fans don't just watch the game anymore. They tweet about a great play, research player stats, and even post Facebook updates while cheering on the Wild," said Jim Ibister, Vice President, Facility Administration/General Manager, Saint Paul RiverCentre. "Deploying free AT&T Wi-Fi is our way of showing visitors that Xcel Energy Center is the ideal sports and entertainment venue for the ultimate fan."

The enhancements at Xcel Energy Center are the latest examples of AT&T's commitment to providing superior service in the Twin Cities area. Since 2008, the company has:

• Installed more than 80 new cell sites in the Twin Cities area
• Upgraded more than 60 additional cell sites for mobile broadband
• Invested nearly $280 million in its Minnesota wireless and wireline networks.

"One of the best sports venues in the country just got better," said Karolyn Kirchgesler, President and CEO for Visit Saint Paul.  "AT&T's newly installed Wi-Fi Hotspot at Xcel Energy Center makes this facility second to none for in-game amenities for fans.  Having these capabilities puts Saint Paul at a competitive advantage and demonstrates our commitment, as a city, to being a technology leader."

More about AT&T Wi-Fi

The popularity of Wi-Fi continues to soar as more and more consumers can easily connect from Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets. AT&T handled 246.8 million connections on its Wi-Fi network in the second quarter of 2011 and has reached almost half a billion connections in the first six months of 2011.

AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network* with nearly 27,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 190,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements.

For more information, visit Xcel Energy Center or AT&T Wi-Fi Access.

*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) 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.