AT&T Offers Strongest MPLS Service Lineup In North America





OSS and Security as Being Best-in-Class



Bedminster, N.J., -/March 3, 2006 - Wi-Fi Technology News/- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) offers the strongest MPLS service lineup in North America as a result of its transport and managed services, according to the just-issued Forrester Wave?: Vendor Summary.

Citing AT&T?s best-in-class operational support systems (OSS), portfolio breadth, e-servicing options and market-differentiating security features, the Forrester WaveTM study acknowledges that AT&T ?clearly leads the North American MPLS pack? among 11 North America-based providers that were evaluated across 56 categories covering such areas as market presence, strategy and product offering.


This announcement is the latest acknowledgment of AT&T?s leadership in delivering Multiprotocol Label Services (MPLS) via a global network that serves customers in 127 countries representing 97 percent of the world?s economies. AT&T?s leadership among North American providers is particularly significant, given that most multinational companies are primarily based in the United States.


?North American enterprise clients that are looking for best-in-class network performance processes and systems need look no further than AT&T,? according to Lisa Pierce, vice president, Forrester Research, Inc. ?Post-merger, AT&T boasts the nation?s largest MPLS customer base ? ahead of the combined MPLS customer bases of Verizon and MCI,? said Pierce.


AT&T is the nation's only tier-one facilities-based provider that currently offers both a public and private MPLS service, with both a transport-centric option and a suite of fully productized managed MPLS services. Forrester also recognized that legacy SBC had achieved important milestones with its MPLS VPN services and has the largest MPLS customer base of the regional Bell operating companies.


?Through investment in our core backbone and integrated systems and processes, AT&T now has the ability to quickly respond to customer requirements in virtually every corner of the world, with flexible, secure business networking solutions,? said Michael Antieri, vice president-Product Management. ?We appreciate Forrester?s vote of confidence in our commitment to serving business customers with converged IP-based services and solutions,? he said.


To ascertain the state of the North American MPLS services market and to assess offers to enterprise customers, Forrester evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of 11 major service providers. After examining past research, user needs assessments, and service provider and expert interviews, Forrester developed a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria.* Forrester evaluated North American MPLS service providers against 56 criteria, which were grouped into three categories: Current Offering, Strategy and Market Presence.


*Source: The Forrester WAVETM: North American MPLS Services, Q1 2006, Forrester Research, Inc., 02/16/2006.

AT&T Leads in North American MPLS Services, Forrester Research, Inc., 02/16/2006.


About the New AT&T
AT&T Inc. is one of the world?s largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high-speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with more than 54 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.TheNewATT.com.