COVID-19: Our Response

April 2, 2020

AT&T Supports First Responders, Medical Personnel, and Others Impacted by COVID-19 With Nourishing Meals

Across the country – and around the world – first responders and medical personnel are playing a critical role in helping care for their communities during the COVID-19 crisis. AT&T is announcing a $5.5 million commitment to provide much needed support – in the form of nourishing meals – for first responders, medical personnel and others on the front lines COVID-19. 

Read More

Help Our First Responders Through Text-to-Give

Through the program, you can donate $10 to World Central Kitchen, Feeding America, or Team Rubicon, increasing the impact we can have from coast to coast. More information can be found below.

World Central Kitchen

• Text FOOD to 80100 to donate $10 to World Central Kitchen

Feeding America

• Text AMERICA to 50555 to donate $10 to Feeding America

Team Rubicon

• Text RUBICON to 20222 to donate $10 to Team Rubicon

A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill. All donations must be authorized by the account holder. Message & Data Rates May Apply.

March 31, 2020

The COVID-19 health crisis illustrates precisely why public safety fought for the creation of FirstNet, the only nationwide high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders. And as the nation continues to combat the spread of this disease, the FirstNet® communications platform – built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) – is bringing advanced capabilities to first responders across the country.

#1: First responder public safety agencies on FirstNet can get premium FirstNet Ready™ smartphone devices for free for their agency paid users to connect them to critical communications when and where they need it most. All they have to do is get a new FirstNet Mobile – Unlimited for Smartphone line of service or eligible upgrade with either a 2-year service agreement or a new AT&T Installment 30-month agreement and meet some other conditions.

#2: We’re delivering new capabilities to first responders. Developed from the ground up specifically for and with public safety, FirstNet Push-to-Talk (PTT) is the first-ever nationwide mission-critical standards-based push-to-talk solution to launch in the U.S. FirstNet PTT is designed to enable public safety to use their smartphones, feature phones, and specialized ultra-rugged devices like they would use a two-way radio, with highly reliable, high-performance calling.

Read more about both here.

FirstNet is public safety’s only network that gives first responders always-on, 24-hours-a-day priority and preemption across voice and data, with multiple priority levels that first responder users can allocate as needed.

It’s like giving public safety communications the “lights and sirens” treatment. When you see or hear an emergency vehicle coming, you get out of the way, so they can quickly get to those in need. Priority and preemption follow that same approach, just on the communications highway.

Public safety agencies on FirstNet have access to a dedicated fleet of 76 deployable cell sites at no additional charge. The deployment of these assets is led by the FirstNet Response Operations Group (ROG), a team of former first responders who manage the program in alignment with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and FEMA National Response Framework (NRF).

No other network provider has deployable network assets dedicated solely and exclusively to public safety, backed by the oversight of the FirstNet Authority to help ensure public safety’s needs are met.  

As public safety’s network, FirstNet liaisons at AT&T are embedded with state and federal emergency operations centers (EOC). This strengthens public safety’s command and control of their network and helps ensure they have the mobile connectivity and devices they need to effectively respond to COVID-19.

So far, we’ve deployed assets, optimized the network or provided FirstNet Ready™ devices to support quarantine zones, airports, EOCs and other public safety centers in areas such as:

• Port of Oakland, California
• Riverside, California
• Roseville, California
• San Diego, California
• New Haven, Connecticut
• Collier County, Florida
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Fulton County, Georgia
• Marietta, Georgia
• Rutledge, Georgia
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Nassau County, New York
• Austin, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
  

FirstNet provides public safety with a dedicated lane of connectivity when they need it. To ensure first responders have as much coverage and capacity as possible, FirstNet subscribers have access to all AT&T LTE commercial spectrum bands, as well as Band 14 spectrum. Band 14 is nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the U.S. government specifically for FirstNet. We look at Band 14 as public safety’s VIP lane.

During an emergency, this band – or lane – can be cleared and locked just for FirstNet subscribers. That means only those on FirstNet will be able to access Band 14 spectrum, further elevating their connected experience and emergency response. That’s unique in the industry and something public safety won’t get anywhere but on the FirstNet network.

With FirstNet, serving public safety is our mission. It’s our obligation and honor to earn public safety’s trust day in and day out. And that only happens by delivering on the bipartisan vision of Congress and the first responder community, and effectively serving as public safety’s true communications network partner.

AT&T is redirecting more resources to provide communication services and tools for first responders, health care professionals, educators and other essential customers. This additional support will help ensure these customers can continue providing critical support to the country and their communities, particularly to first responders using FirstNet - the only nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to America’s public safety community. Public safety agency and individual first responders can sign-up for service or order devices online.  

"COVID-19 is an unprecedented event for the country – and in times of emergency, communication is critical. As we began mobilizing various quarantine locations across California, our commercial network devices were unable to handle the heavy data transmission needed to adequately communicate. We turned to FirstNet, and the quick action and network performance allowed us to support the hundreds of public safety personnel actively engaged in response efforts. It's been a game changer." – Tim Ketchie, Communications Unit Leader, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

What is FirstNet?

FirstNet is the nationwide, wireless communications platform dedicated to America’s first responders and public safety community. As men and women across the country stand on the front lines to support our nation’s response to COVID-19, they can have confidence knowing that with FirstNet they’ll have the unthrottled connectivity and priority communications they need to respond during this public health emergency. This type of unparalleled emergency support distinguishes FirstNet, public safety’s network, from best-effort commercial wireless networks built for consumer use.

So far, more than 11,000 public safety agencies and organizations across the country have subscribed. And over 1.2 million FirstNet connections are in service.

How is FirstNet different from commercial offerings?

FirstNet represents an unprecedented public-private investment in infrastructure that makes America a leader and public safety a national priority.

While commercial wireless offerings are available to public safety, FirstNet continues to grow because it stands apart from those commercial offerings. The FirstNet communications platform comes with unique features, functionality and spectrum for the public safety community. That’s why public safety fought for their own, separate, dedicated communications platform, championing the vision behind FirstNet.

How can I get FirstNet support?

FirstNet subscribers seeking to request FirstNet support can call 1-800-574-7000.

How do I order service or order additional devices?

Public safety agency and individual first responders, including police, fire, EMS, health care professionals, emergency management, and military personnel can sign-up for service or order devices online: https://www.firstnet.com/signup/.   

March 26, 2020

In recent weeks we’ve all felt the change to our daily lives. In times like this, we want to stay connected to the people that we care about as well as news, information, education and even entertainment.

Our teams across AT&T are honored to keep you connected to what matters to you most. Keeping you connected is what we’ve always done and what we’ll always do. 

How you can reach us

We’re working to keep you, and millions of people and companies around the world, connected during this critical time. We continue to balance providing the services you rely on while maintaining the health and safety of all our employees and customers.

That’s why we encourage you to manage your services online at att.com or on the myAT&T app with 24/7 access allowing you to do almost everything you could do in our store or through our customer service team. These online tools allow you to handle wireless, video or internet bill payments, device or Wi-Fi troubleshooting, upgrading or activating your device or service and so much more.

Additionally, to further ensure we’re taking the proper steps for our customers and employees, we’ve adjusted our retail store presence to focus on handling first responder and critical customer needs. We’ve also reduced hours and taken extra cleaning and social distancing precautions. You can use our store locator to find information about the status of stores near you.

Thank you for choosing AT&T. Now more than ever we’re connected together.

Sincerely,

Thaddeus Arroyo
CEO – AT&T Consumer

April 2, 2020

We know that many people are experiencing economic hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. AT&T is keeping you connected 24/7. As part of this effort, we'll waive:
    • Late payment fees for postpaid wireless, home phone or broadband residential, U-verse TV or DIRECTV customers
    • Domestic postpaid wireless plan overage charges for data, voice or text for residential postpaid wireless customers

The waiver applies to these fees or charges you may incur between March 13, 2020, and May 13, 2020, due to economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic. Have your user ID and password ready and click here to submit a waiver request.

Please allow one to two billing cycles to see your credit, if applicable.

March 25, 2020

We’re helping keep our military and their families connected during this difficult time. We’ve worked out an agreement with the Navy Exchange Command that allows military personnel stationed on selected Navy ships to make calls to their loved ones through April 30 at no cost to the Navy or its sailors.

March 24, 2020

Our AT&T technicians are the boots on the ground when a customer's voice, data or internet is down and needs fixing.

Every day, thousands of technicians across the country are entering a customer's home or business to repair or install service. Every day, they are trusting that they'll remain healthy and able to work. Day after day, they leave their homes to keep their neighbors and communities connected as our national emergency looms around them.

Internet, telephone and video connectivity are essential services, and the installation and repair of those services is work technicians can't accomplish from their own homes. So, they go to the frontlines, and out into an uncertain world to keep us connected. They are dedicated. They show up.

These technicians are restoring connectivity at:

1. Homes … where parents are working and kids are being schooled remotely.
2. Businesses … where those who must be in the office, due to the nature of their work, have a critical need to stay connected.
3. Hospitals … where doctors and nurses rely on connectivity to save lives and to receive the latest updates and developments in their fight against this new virus.
4. Quarantine centers … where both the medical staff and the patients in their care need to stay connected to the outside world.

March 18, 2020

We recognize that our customers and first responders find the support we provide in our retail locations invaluable at moments like this. Because of the evolving circumstances and guidelines for social distancing, we are balancing the need to serve the public in our retail stores with the health and safety of our customers and our employees.

Starting March 18, we will begin temporarily closing some retail stores across the country to align with guidance on social distancing from the CDC. Locations that we're temporarily closing include all AT&T Retail and Authorized Retail stores within indoor malls and stores in high traffic areas like airports, corporate campuses and schools.

A select number of retail stores across the nation will stay open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. To locate a retail store that will remain open to serve your area, please visit our store tracker at www.att.com/stores.

We encourage our customers to go online where possible. Our MyAT&T app and att.com give you access to view and pay bills, monitor data usage, add more lines to your account and upgrade existing devices or services.

In select markets, AT&T Ready to Go will continue to bring the retail experience to you. Consumers and small business customers can get personal delivery with eligible device orders.

AT&T is redirecting more resources to provide communication services and tools for first responders, health care professionals, educators and other essential customers. This additional support will help ensure these customers can continue providing critical support to the country and their communities, particularly to first responders using the FirstNet network.

Updated April 2, 2020

AT&T Offers Added Relief for Customers

AT&T is planning to help you stay connected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recognize that staying in touch with your family, friends, school and work has never been more important.

Below are a few ways we’re helping consumers, small businesses, and enterprises across the country.

Consistent with FCC Chairman Pai’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge” announced today and concerns raised by members of Congress, which we share, AT&T is proud to support our customers by pledging that, for the next 60 days, we will:  

• Not terminate the service of any postpaid wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Waive any late payment fees that any postpaid wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business, U-verse TV or DIRECTV customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
• (NEW) Waive domestic postpaid wireless plan overage charges for data, voice or text for residential or small business wireless customers incurred because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
  
• Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for anyone who needs them.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing many hardships. If you find yourself in financial trouble and unable to pay your bill, we’re here to help you. To submit a waiver request please click here. 

To provide further relief and support, AT&T announced:

• Unlimited AT&T Home Internet – All AT&T consumer home internet wireline customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet, can use unlimited internet data.  Additionally, we’ll continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month through our Access from AT&T program. We’ve expanded eligibility to Access from AT&T to households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. Additionally, we’re offering new Access from AT&T customers two months of free service. 
  
• AT&T World Connect Advantage – Business customers currently on or who purchase an AT&T World Connect Advantage package receive 50% off the current rate in a monthly bill credit (maximum $7.50/mo.).*
• Helping You Work and Learn Remotely – Businesses, universities and schools can keep their teams and classrooms connected through conference calls and video conferencing with Cisco Webex Meetings with AT&T for 90-days, and seamlessly forward calls to both mobile and landline phones with AT&T IP Flexible Reach.
• Distance Learning – AT&T is underwriting expenses for a “one-stop” resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) available to all educators in schools to help them handle school closures and the increase in virtual learning due to COVID-19.
• To assist our customers during this time, we’re temporarily extending the timeframe to return your DIRECTV, U-verse TV, or AT&T Internet equipment from 21 days to 60 days. Get more information here about how to locate a drop-off location and return your equipment. 
• (NEW) More mobile hotspot data – Starting April 2 through May 13, we are automatically increasing mobile hotspot data by 15GB a month for each line on an unlimited plan that currently includes a monthly tethering allotment. That means if you’re on AT&T Unlimited Elite you’ll automatically get 45GB a month of tethering per line. Click here to see how to setup your mobile hotspot.
• (NEW) What you want online, even easier – Starting April 2 through May 13, when you purchase or upgrade your device online, we’ll give you free express shipping, as well as waive or credit the activation, upgrade and restocking fees. We’re also giving wireless customers 20% off accessories when you order through att.com/accessories.¹

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls due to COVID-19, but remain dedicated to serving our customers and keeping them connected 24/7. To allow us to help as many customers as quickly as possible, we recommend reaching out through att.com or our myAT&T app for support, additional resources or access to our online store.

Also, due to coronavirus, we have begun to close additional AT&T stores across the nation, significantly reducing our retail footprint to a minimum number of locations required to serve first responders, healthcare workers, government users and our customers. Where possible, we will keep at least one retail location open within a 20-mile radius in urban and suburban areas, and just over a 30-mile radius in rural areas.  To locate a retail store that will remain open to serve your area, please visit our store tracker at www.att.com/stores.

Also, we are limiting the number of customers allowed in our stores at the same time to ensure proper social distancing. Stores will continue operating with reduced hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time and all stores will be closed on Sundays. The health and well-being of our employees is our top priority.  We’re ensuring that all of our front-line employees have the necessary supplies to keep their hands and work areas clean throughout the day.

We thank our customers for their patience as we work hard to provide them with the wireless service they rely on, while keeping safety and health top of mind. We will continue to monitor and act as needed. We’re watching the situation closely and will share any updates in the “Update on Our Stores” section.

_{^{*Limited time offer. Avail. to qual. business customers. Must add World Connect Advantage (WCA) package to eligible postpaid plan during promotion period. Existing WCA customers  must visit store or call to receive credits. Credits start w/in 3 bills. Max credit is $7.50/mo. If WCA subscription is cancelled or modified, credits cease. Other fees, taxes, charges & restr’s apply See offer details.}}

March 24, 2020

Movies and television have always been a welcome escape in difficult times. With many people staying at home, we’re giving our video customers additional content at no cost during this time.

We’ll kick things off by providing an extended complimentary preview of SHOWTIME for our DIRECTV and U-verse customers starting March 20 until March 26 (if SHOWTIME isn’t part of their current video package). Starting March 26-April 2, DIRECTV and U-verse customers will get a complimentary preview of Starz. In the coming weeks, we’ll offer additional previews of premium channels, while also expanding to include our AT&T TV and AT&T TV NOW customers:

• EPIX: 4/2-4/16
• HBO and Cinemax: 4/17-4/20

Additional ways all video customers can access content during this time:

• On Demand: Access to thousands of movies and shows. DIRECTV customers just need to connect their receiver to the internet to take advantage of this content.
• Kids On Demand: The best of kids content in one easy location with an internet connected receiver (channel 1111 on DIRECTV and 323 on U-verse). Watch full series or favorite episodes anytime from Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network, all with recommendations by age.
• TV Anytime, Anywhere: Turn your mobile phone into another TV by downloading your TV app and sign in with your account credentials. You can watch your favorite On Demand shows or live TV anytime, anywhere.
• Sports streaming included:  While sports are postponed, customers who subscribe to NBA League Pass can stream past NBA games via the NBA app, powered by WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports.

Additional free content for our DIRECTV and U-verse customers during this time:

• More News & Entertainment: We’re adding the following channels to DIRECTV and U-verse packages (for customers that do not currently have this programming) to keep customers entertained and informed:
  • News: BBC World News , CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, One America News Network
  • Entertainment: American Heroes, Aspire, AWE, AXS TV, Comedy.TV, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, Destination America, Discovery Life, DIY Network, Eleven Sports, FM, Fuse, FX Movie Channel, fyi, Great American Country, GSN, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HDNET MOVIES, IFC, Justice Central, LMN, MGM HD, MTV Live, Nat Geo WILD, OWN, Oxygen, Science Channel, ShortsTV, Smithsonian Channel, Sony Movie Channel, SundanceTV, The Weather Channel, Travel Channel, TV One, UPtv, WGN America
  • Kids: Discovery Family, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Nick Jr., Universal Kids
  • Spanish Language: Azteca, Bandamax, Canal 22 Internacional, CANAL ONCE, Centroamérica TV, Cine Estelar, Cine Mexicano, Cine Nostalgia, Cinelatino, De Película, De Película Clásico, Discovery En Español, Discovery Familia, Enlace, Estrella TV, FOROtv, Galavisión, GoITV, History En Español, HITN, MegaTV, Multimedios, Nuestra Tele, Pasiones, Telefe, TUDN, TV Chile, Televisión Española, UNIVERSO, Univision tlnovelas, ViendoMovies, V-me, WAPA América

March 27, 2020

Kids, Family and News Programming are Driving Viewership

Movies, news and TV always keep us entertained and informed, but lately viewing habits are changing.  Whether it’s parents turning on the TV after a long day of work and childcare, throwing on a movie in the middle of the day to entertain kids, or consuming more news than ever – our patterns and habits have shifted.  Among the recent trends, weekday viewership is increased, there are more movie rentals and purchases, and family and drama genres are showing the most growth.  Check out more of the latest video trends here.

Updated March 30, 2020

What we do is critical to connecting millions of people and companies around the world to friends, family, colleagues, customers and communities. When people need us most, we show up. That’s what we do. It’s who we are.

The health and safety of our customers and employees are top priorities for AT&T, which is why we want to let you know what we’re doing to respond to COVID-19.

We’re asking our employees in customer-facing roles or those that require onsite presence to take appropriate preventative measures – whether they are in our stores, call centers, our customers’ homes or businesses. This includes stocking up on hand sanitizer and disinfecting spray and wipes, increased cleaning and sanitizing for all company-operated stores with an added focus on locations in affected areas. We’re also encouraging employees who may not feel well to avoid coming to work or interacting with customers. 

Our frontline employees across the nation – including retail employees, Ready to Go, Cricket Wireless, field technicians and others – continue to take your health seriously, which is why we ask them to:

• Disinfect their workspace after every customer interaction
• Wipe down all displays and hard surfaces multiple times a day
• Pay extra attention to sanitizing common areas
• Take care of themselves by eating well, washing their hands frequently, staying hydrated and well-rested, and quickly reporting if they are not feeling well

And while the mission of our field technicians is essential to keeping our customers connected during this time, we also recognize that there is a balance between providing service and keeping our technicians safe.

To accomplish that balance, we’re providing our field technicians with new policies and procedures so they feel comfortable serving customers at their businesses and in their homes, while delivering on our commitment to service.

For that reason, our technicians will contact customers prior to arriving for scheduled appointments to ask questions concerning health and travel. We've asked that our technicians not enter the home or business of any customer who has:

• Been sick or quarantined
• Traveled to a high-risk Level 3 country in the last 14 days
• Been in close contact with someone confirmed positive for coronavirus or who has traveled through a high-risk country in the last 14 days

In those cases, our technicians will attempt to assist the customer without entering the home or business, where possible. Customers who wish to reschedule their appointments can do so on our myAT&T app or by visiting att.com.

We offer multiple options to keep you connected if you have concerns about getting out in the community or are unable to make it to a store.

• Our MyAT&T and att.com also give you easy access to view and pay bills, monitor data usage, add more lines to your account and even upgrade existing devices or  services. Our myAT&T app is easy to use and available through mobile app stores
• In select markets, AT&T Ready to Go will continue to bring the retail experience to you. Consumers and small business customers can get personal delivery with eligible device orders.
• AT&T is redirecting more resources to provide communication services and tools for first responders, health care professionals, educators and other essential customers. This additional support will help ensure these customers can continue providing critical support to the country and their communities, particularly to first responders using FirstNet - the nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to America’s first responders and public safety community. FirstNet is the first and only network built with first responders, for first responders.
• (NEW) Curb-side pick-up – When your order is ready, we will deliver it to your car. Existing customers can get curb-side pick-up for online orders at an open AT&T store.
• (NEW) Door-step delivery with virtual setup – In select markets, AT&T Ready to Go will continue to bring the retail experience to you. Consumer and small business customers can get fast door-step delivery with no-contact virtual expert setup with eligible device orders.
• (NEW) Express Shipping – Wireless customers can get free express shipping for a limited time for online orders.

Here’s a few extra tips to help keep you healthy and connected using your own devices:

• Keep your device clean. Spray a non-abrasive or alcohol-based (70% isopropyl) disinfectant directly on a soft lint-free cloth and wipe down your device while it is powered down and unplugged
• Share things like photos through text messages instead of passing your phone around
• Since devices can collect germs, avoid putting your device on public surfaces and try to use a Bluetooth device or a hands-free headset to minimize the device’s exposure to your face

For more information on how to protect yourself from COVID-19, explore the CDC website.

March 11, 2020

Scammers are preying on fears surrounding COVID-19. Click here to learn more about how to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams.

March 31, 2020

In the past week, The President of the United States and the Department of Health and Human Services both strongly urged the use of Telehealth as a preventive and proactive public health measure. Further, The Telehealth Government Funding Package for COVID-19 was just passed, which enabled through significant government funding and lifting constraints on Medicare’s payments for telehealth so beneficiaries can freely consult their doctors remotely, avoiding hospitals and physicians’ offices where they might risk exposure to the virus.

Today we announced a collaboration with VitalTech, a rapidly growing market leader in virtual care, telehealth and remote patient monitoring, to provide 60 days of free telehealth services through the VitalCare^® platform.

This collaboration will allow AT&T and VitalTech to help deliver patient-centered care when and where they need it most. AT&T will bring highly secure connectivity and data analytics, while utilizing AT&T and VitalTech’s innovation capabilities to bring a reliable end-to-end Virtual Care solution to the industry. Read more about this collaboration here.

March 25, 2020

Anne Chow, CEO, AT&T Business Joins Conversations with Dez Podcast to discuss network preparedness, what we’re hearing from customers and how we’ve responded to the COVID-19 pandemic across industries, including those on the frontlines.

March 20, 2020

AT&T Offers Added Relief for Customers

AT&T is planning on being here to help you stay connected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recognize that staying in touch with your family, friends, school and work has never been more important.

Below are a few ways we’re helping consumers, small businesses, and enterprises across the country.

Consistent with FCC Chairman Pai’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge” announced today and concerns raised by members of Congress, which we share, AT&T is proud to support our customers by pledging that, for the next 60 days, we will:  

• Not terminate the service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Waive any late payment fees that any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for any American who needs them.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing many hardships. If you find yourself in financial trouble and unable to pay your bill, we’re here to help you. Please contact us at 800-288-2020 for AT&T broadband, residential wireless or small business services and 611 from your AT&T device for wireless.

To provide further relief and support, AT&T announced:

• Unlimited AT&T Home Internet – All AT&T consumer home internet wireline customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet, can use unlimited internet data.  Additionally, we’ll continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited income households at $10 a month through our Access from AT&T program. We’ve expanded eligibility to Access from AT&T to households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start. Additionally, we’re offering new Access from AT&T customers two months of free service. 
  
• AT&T World Connect Advantage – Business customers currently on or who purchase an AT&T World Connect Advantage package receive 50% off the current rate in a monthly bill credit (max $7.50/mo.).*
• Helping You Work and Learn Remotely – Businesses, universities and schools can keep their teams and classrooms connected through conference calls and video conferencing with Cisco Webex Meetings with AT&T for 90-days, and seamlessly forward calls to both mobile and landline phones with AT&T IP Flexible Reach.
• Distance Learning – AT&T is underwriting expenses for a “one-stop” resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) available to all educators in schools to help them handle school closures and the increase in virtual learning due to COVID-19.

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls due to COVID-19. To allow us to help as many customers as quickly as possible, we recommend reaching out through att.com or the myAT&T app for support, additional resources or to access our online store.

Due to coronavirus, starting Friday, March 20, we will begin to close additional AT&T stores across the nation, significantly reducing our retail footprint to a minimum number of locations required to serve first responders, healthcare workers, government users and our customers. Where possible, we will keep at least one retail location open within a 20-mile radius in urban and suburban areas, and just over a 30-mile radius in rural areas.  To locate a retail store that will remain open to serve your area, please visit our store tracker at www.att.com/stores.

Also, we are limiting the number of customers allowed in our stores at the same time to ensure proper social distancing. Stores will continue operating with reduced hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time and all stores will be closed on Sundays. The health and well-being of our employees is our top priority.  We’re ensuring that all of our front-line employees have the necessary supplies to keep their hands and work areas clean throughout the day.

We thank our customers for their patience as we work hard to provide them with the wireless service they rely on, while keeping safety and health top of mind. We will continue to monitor and act as needed. We’re watching the situation closely and will share any updates in the “Update on our stores” section.

_{^{*Limited time offer. Avail. to qual. business customers. Must add World Connect Advantage (WCA) package to eligible postpaid plan during promotion period. Existing WCA customers  must visit store or call to receive credits. Credits start w/in 3 bills. Max credit is $7.50/mo. If WCA subscription is cancelled or modified, credits cease. Other fees, taxes, charges & restr’s apply See offer details.}}

March 20, 2020

The connectivity and solutions we provide to our customers have never been more critical – whether it be hospitals, medical facilities, utilities, food and beverage industry, government entities, financial institutions, K-12 and higher education, any other business or employees working from home. Our dedicated Global Operations & Service team in AT&T Business has pulled off some amazing feats to support our customers.

To keep our customers connected and complement our product offers, we’ve launched six new Command Centers that are enabling the fast delivery of increased bandwidth, new circuits and unified communication services. This will help enable working from home and support the smooth functioning of institutions that are experiencing a significant increase in data and voice traffic.  

Our teams are utilizing our own unified communication and borderless collaboration tools.

To highlight three of the six command centers:

1. Delivery Command Center - AT&T Core Network

Our network is at the core of everything we do and it is during times like these when it matters the most. To that end, this command center has been established to handle higher demands across our infrastructure. As demands on the network continually evolve, AT&T is confident this structure will keep our network strong as needs evolve.

2. Delivery Command Center - Customer Needs                  

This structure is designed to organize all delivery functions across AT&T to expedite critical customer orders with high priority work volumes. Within one week, our teams have already completed hundreds of COVID-19 related customer orders across multiple industry segments. This effort is proving vital to not only our customers, but to the functioning of our society in these critical times.

3. Incident Command Center

Customers and businesses will all be impacted in some way during the COVID-19 pandemic. This command center has been established recognizing that vital customer incidents will need restoration faster than ever before. This center will prioritize incidences with Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) indicators above all else.

These are truly unprecedented times.

We recognize that no business will be left untouched by this pandemic. No matter if you’re expanding bandwidth, redeploying employees or needing additional products and services, we’ve established the mechanisms to help you meet your business objectives.

These command centers are a true reflection of people, process, technology and culture coming together. Our team is dedicated around-the-clock, prepared to execute with excellent and seamless collaboration across Delivery, Sales and Technology ecosystems. 

Technology supports our people.

We’re using collaboration tools to provide real-time status updates. We deployed a full automation framework using BOTs and other automation to speed up order intake, triage, delivery activity based on priority request. The BOTs launch a virtual command and control room and invite key stakeholders to collaborate in real time.

We’re doing this while prioritizing the health and safety of our employees. We’re constantly working to stay ahead and respond as the situation evolves.

March 16, 2020

Does COVID-19 + BAU = WFH? Get prepared with the right communications tools

For more information and resources to help keep your business running during the unpredictable, please visit AT&T Business Continuity here.

The unprecedented global health crisis has a growing number of businesses taking drastic measures to help ensure the health and safety of their employees. Large-scale work-from-home (WFH) policies are now commonplace with hopes of social distancing to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Addressing the risk to people, families and communities is paramount. We also understand there is significant risk to the financial health of businesses. A prolonged interruption in operations could be significant to many organizations. Even with a workforce that’s suddenly more decentralized, in many cases businesses must attempt to continue to operate as predictably as possible, even amidst the unpredictability of the current environment.  

Many businesses today are familiar with the latest technologies enabling employees to work from nearly anywhere and from any device. But for some, we realize they may find challenges in maintaining not just productivity, but also collaboration and even culture during a prolonged pause to normal office life as we know it —even with all the tools readily available.

As more organizations institute work-from-home policies, we want to emphasize to that our connectivity tools provide the capabilities to enhance the virtual work experience. Below are five tools and tips that your business may already be using to help ease the challenge of working and collaborating from anywhere.

Addressing Security Risks: Possibly the most significant risk related to the work-from-home policies is the affect it could have on cybersecurity. Enable secure access for employees to corporate networks, applications and servers through a VPN. Also, remind employees about your organization’s cybersecurity policies. It’s easier to become complacent at home and virus-related scams have already been making the rounds.

Putting Faces to Names: It’s easy to become detached if colleagues slowly become words in an email or a voice on the other end of the phone. Enable your workforce with collaboration tools with built-in video conferencing capabilities and encourage them to connect with each other ‘face-to-face.’

Reaching You No Matter the Number: How easy is it for customers or others outside your organization to reach you by phone? If teams are out of the office for an extended period of time, calls can get lost in the shuffle quickly. Many enterprise phone services offer simple call forwarding or even the ability to unify phone numbers to a designated device.

Setting Up Living Chat Rooms: Much of what’s most enjoyable about office life is defined by the informal and unplanned interactions where employees can bounce ideas off one another and build camaraderie with colleagues. By creating a space specifically for impromptu discussions, you can help working groups stay more engaged with tasks and collaborate with each other.

Communication is KEY: We can’t lose sight of our connection to each other. The focus on simply communicating one-on-one and across workgroups while building relationships is a must! Without the ability to meet and spend time in person, get creative. We’ve got to make that extra effort to consciously reach out and collaborate, harnessing the power of the myriad of technology and solutions that are available to us. Success depends on creating and sustaining an open dialogue as well as keeping the virtual door always open. Each and all of us have to work with greater purpose to develop and sustain our connections with people – whether it be our colleagues, customers, partners, suppliers, and all stakeholders - to ensure ongoing alignment and constructive progress. Feedback will be even more critical during these times – so keep it coming!

Stay well and stay connected!

Updated April 2, 2020

AT&T Offers Savings to Schools to Support eLearning for their Students

With the COVID-19 virus having unprecedented impacts on our society and keeping millions of students and teachers home for the foreseeable future, we are stepping up to enable virtual classrooms across America. Our company is offering schools ways to save on unlimited wireless broadband connectivity for students. 

Read More

AT&T Creates $10 million Fund to Support Distance Learning and Family Connections

We created a $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund to give parents, students and teachers tools they need for at-home learning. The fund also provides resources to maintain meaningful connections and bonding opportunities for those isolated from family and friends.

Read More

Bringing Families Together with Caribu

AT&T is funding 60 days of free access and unlimited usage of Caribu, a video-calling application that allows family members to read, draw, and play games with one another while in distant locations.

Read More

AT&T Contributes $1 million to Khan Academy

As part of AT&T’s $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund, our collaboration with Khan Academy will help improve and expand online learning resources to meet growing demand from parents, teachers and students, including those who rely on free resources. 

Read More

TIME for Kids

AT&T is pleased to help underwrite the new TIME for Kids digital library, which will be available to students around the world for free for the remainder of the school year.

Read More

AT&T Underwrites SETDA eLearning Coalition Amidst COVID-19 Virus

AT&T is underwriting expenses for a “one-stop” resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) available to all educators in schools to help them handle school closures and the increase in virtual learning due to COVID-19. 

Read More

April 2, 2020

AT&T Supports First Responders, Medical Personnel, and Others Impacted by COVID-19 With Nourishing Meals

Across the country – and around the world – first responders and medical personnel are playing a critical role in helping care for their communities during the COVID-19 crisis. AT&T is announcing a $5.5 million commitment to provide much needed support – in the form of nourishing meals – for first responders, medical personnel and others on the front lines COVID-19. 

April 2, 2020

Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and families are spending more time in front of a screen – watching TV, playing games, and using mobile devices to stay connected with teachers, family and friends. Our ScreenReady site is sharing digital parenting tips and resources to help families stay connected, learning and entertained at home during the time of coronavirus.

Read More

April 2, 2020

Through the program, you can donate $10 to World Central Kitchen, Feeding America, or Team Rubicon, increasing the impact we can have from coast to coast. More information can be found below.

World Central Kitchen

• Text FOOD to 80100 to donate $10 to World Central Kitchen

Feeding America

• Text AMERICA to 50555 to donate $10 to Feeding America

Team Rubicon

• Text RUBICON to 20222 to donate $10 to Team Rubicon

_{^{A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill. All donations must be authorized by the account holder. Message & Data Rates May Apply.}}

March 18, 2020 

Coronavirus: In light of the possible school closures DIRECTV will offer educational TV in its programming grid

Together with Disney, National Geographic, Discovery, Torneos, Takeoff Media, DIRECTV will open the Escuela Plus channel (804) to all its clients in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, providing audiovisual content to primary and secondary schools.

In light of possible school closures in several countries of the region as a consequence of the advancement of the Coronavirus, DIRECTV in Latin America announced together with its partners Disney, National Geographic, Discovery, Torneos and Takeoff Media, that it will release during 30 days, starting on March 17 access to the educational content channel Escuela Plus (804).

This measure will benefit all customers located in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, who will be able to access the channel for free. Almost 10,000 schools have access to this channel in the region, as part of the Escuela Plus Corporate Social Responsibility program.

"Our commitment and that of our educational partners inspired us to offer a quick and efficient solution that will allow continuous learning for children, despite the current difficulties. We hope to continue contributing to the Ministries of Education and to society in general, from our position and through the technology and content of DIRECTV and its partners, "said Sandro Mesquita, Vice President of Social Responsibility and Sustainability - AT&T | Vrio. Latin America.

“AT&T and VRIO are working on different ways to be able to attend their customers and employees as well as the community and the government entities. We reiterate our commitment as an entertainment company responding to our millions of clients in Latin America, who in large part receive information about the situation through their TV-screens. In addition, now we contribute to the school continuity of the students as well, offering the educational content through Escuela Plus on our screens,” said Michael Bowling, President of DIRECTV Latin America.           

At the same time, DIRECTV makes ESCUELA Plus available to its clients offering teaching cards and guides that will allow them to benefit from this content in the best way possible. They are available under the following link: www.escuelaplus.com.

Escuela Plus is a free educational program for rural schools in Latin America. It seeks to bridge the social and technological gap, bringing audiovisual content that complements the primary and secondary curricula of schools.

The program, which is already operating in almost 10,000 schools throughout the region, is promoted by the Sustainability area of ​​AT&T, DIRECTV and SKY in partnership with its strategic partners: Disney, National Geographic, Discovery and Torneos, provide television content and educational cards that guide its educational implementation and Takeoff Media provides the digital platforms for this program.

At the end of January, AT&T Latin America and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) of the Organization of American States (OAS) signed an agreement to jointly promote digital education programs in schools in America. The initiative is part of the ICT 2030 Alliance, whose main objective is to connect all public schools in the Americas by 2030.

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March 25, 2020

AT&T Gives 20% Bonus to Frontline Employees

We have a responsibility like few other companies during the coronavirus pandemic. Doctors and healthcare providers, our FirstNet first responders and all our customers depend on us to stay connected.

Thank you to all our employees, but particularly our front-line employees who are working hard serving customers during this challenging time.

To show our appreciation for these employees, effective March 25 and until further notice:

• We’ll pay a 20% bonus above the regular hourly base rate of pay to bargained-for employees for all time worked in the field, office or at home. That bonus will be included in their regular rate of pay for purposes of calculating overtime rates.

We appreciate our employees' commitment to being there for our customers and each other. 

March 26, 2020

We are recognizing first-level managers who supervise our non-management employees and first-level managers who are required to leave their homes to complete their work with a monthly appreciation bonus of up to $1,000 for time worked, effective March 25 and until further notice.  We will share more details on eligibility and the payout date soon.

March 10, 2020

Employees in Quarantine

We are providing limited, excused paid time off for anyone who may need to self-quarantine (and cannot work from home) for one of the following reasons:

• Are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Tested positive for COVID-19
• Have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• Have recently returned from a high-risk country (Level 3 as defined by the CDC) or live with someone who has

Employees at Higher Risk

We are instituting specific work-from-home guidelines in local areas based on various factors, including local health authority advisories. For our employees in jobs where they cannot work from home and may be considered at a higher risk for COVID-19, we are offering up to 80 hours (two weeks) consecutively of excused, paid leave.

Parents During School and Daycare Closures

We know that schools and daycares are closing, and some employees are having to make alternative work arrangements – or even miss work – to care for their children. We are providing limited, excused paid time off up to 80 hours (two weeks) for parents and legal guardians who need time off if a school or daycare closes.

Updated March 13, 2020

Employees who are in jobs that can be done from home should do so until further notice.

Our offices will remain open for employees who need to work onsite, but we ask that employees take the necessary preventative measures to help limit the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and preventative personal hygiene.

For employees whose jobs cannot be done from home, including those who serve and interact with our customers, we are taking additional safeguards and implementing new procedures and policies to help protect the health and safety of our workforce.

March 10, 2020

• We restricted international business travel for employees
• We have placed limits on domestic travel
• We have discouraged meetings with vendors that would normally require travel

In general, we’ve cancelled employee attendance at all large internal and external conventions, forums, conferences, and events that require travel.

March 31, 2020  

New mobile traffic patterns emerging; businesses are rapidly adopting the new “remote work” norm and schools are implementing the “learn from home” norm

As people are doing their best to self-isolate, AT&T’s network is keeping people connected. With many now at home, people have increased their reliance on broadband and voice, and finding various ways to collaborate with their colleagues and customers, teachers and students.

And of course, people are also finding different ways to entertain themselves while at home. We’ve seen an uptick in kids, family and news viewership in recent weeks as well.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen new and vastly different mobility traffic patterns set in. In the last three weeks, here’s what we’ve seen on our mobile network alone:

• Voice calls: +33%
• Instant messaging: +63%
• Text messaging: +41%
• Emailing: -18%
• Web browsing: -5%
• Video: +4% (also accounts for over half of all mobility traffic)

And on the other hand, how businesses and schools are communicating has steadily increased the usage of conferencing tools, which are at an all-time high. Here’s what we’ve seen over the last few weeks:

• AT&T’s global audio-conferencing solution: +200%
• Audio, web and video conferencing tools: +400% more minutes
• Large-scale webcast events: +200%

And don’t overlook that latter point on large-scale webcast events. Many companies are now more reliant than ever in virtual townhalls and events to communicate what’s taking place during this pandemic. And schools are using them to create virtual classrooms to educate their students.

Despite these dramatic shifts in traffic patterns, our network continues to perform well. We’ve invested billions of dollars in our software-defined network, and it has paid off. We’re able to respond rapidly to surges in traffic and help meet the quickly evolving needs of our customers. When we see stress, we are proactively augmenting where needed.

Through our journey to a software-defined network, we’ve built in AI capabilities to help us move to a 5G world. And some of those tools are helping us optimize our wireless network during this crisis.

For example, we’re actively using AI to:

• Reset our 4G and 5G cell sites: When cell site issues are detected, we have an automated process to collect data, analyze and reset the site. AI is also helping us conserve energy, by “waking up” some cells more frequently as traffic increases, while others, such as in office parks and buildings that are less occupied now, go to sleep more.
• Detect customer equipment issues: AI is also helping us remotely troubleshoot and diagnose problems with customer equipment, by identifying the cause or even proactively identifying a potential issue before it occurs.
• Avoid network traffic congestion: We’ve expedited deployments of new AI capabilities in certain markets that will allow us to balance the traffic load within a sector and across sectors to help avoid overloading specific cells and improve the experience.

And of course, we're doing other things to support more people working and learning from home, such as adding additional spectrum (capacity) to cell sites to improve customers' experience. This is a new world, and it seems to change daily. But one thing’s for sure: you can count on us.

Increased Data and Phone Use Continues Monday

Overall our network is performing very well during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our dedicated employees are working around the clock installing, maintaining and repairing our network so our customers can communicate with each other and stay connected to their world.

Performance for first responders on our FirstNet network has been excellent.  Priority and preemption on public safety’s band 14 spectrum is working and first responders are free of any commercial congestion.   We are deploying portable assets to support public safety as well.  We have deployed 26 times so far and currently have 13 portable cell sites deployed and operating to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.  For example, we have ensured Band-14 coverage for the Naval ship Comfort in New York harbor and deployed a cell tower on wheels to support the Naval Ship Mercy in Los Angeles.

The shift from the pre-pandemic work from the office and learn in the classroom world to the current work and learn from home environment has caused a small amount of stress on our network, but we are adapting and adding capacity when and where needed to address the minimal congestion resulting from this shift.  We have seen increases in traffic, for example audio/video conferencing minutes of use have increased significantly from 6M on an average day to 16M one day last week.  

Monday (March 30, 2020) Network Insights:

• Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 24% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
• Wireless voice minutes of use were up 40% compared to an average Monday.
• Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 45% from an average Monday.
• Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 97% from an average Monday.
• We’ve seen a 46% increase in text messaging in the last two and a half weeks.

Our wireless network continues to perform well as we all adjust to new habits and routines, but we are seeing a few shifts in traffic volume.

Over the last week, voice calls have jumped 25.5%. Data usage has been essentially flat, though, as people head home and connect their devices to their personal Wi-Fi.

In fact, we have seen data usage spread out from traditional concentrations in urban areas to suburbs as everyone is doing their part to maintain social distancing.

We’re seeing similar trends across our own employee base. For example, conference calls are up 19%, as we’ve asked many of our employees to work from home starting this week. And instant messaging is 15 times higher.

When face-to-face communication isn’t possible, staying connected by other means is vital.

911 call volumes across our wireless network have been steady, and we’re always monitoring that most critical network service to support the most urgent needs.

This is a new world, and it seems to change daily. We have the tools in place to keep up. Our Global Network Operations Center monitors the network 24x7, and our software-centric network allows us to respond rapidly to surges, enable capacity enhancements as needed, and quickly address any security concerns.

You can count on us.

April 2, 2020

Software-Centric Network Keeps Business Customers Connected in a Highly Safe Manner

You don’t design a network for a pandemic. But it turns out that building your network on software and open hardware specifications can help make it ready for just about anything. Check out the latest blog from AT&T CTO Andre Fuetsch, who explains how AT&T’s network transformation journey is helping companies around the world seamlessly connect their employees to their corporate networks in the middle of a pandemic.

• Our network continues to perform well. In cities where the coronavirus has had the biggest impact, we are seeing fewer spikes in wireless usage around particular cell towers or particular times of day because more people are working from home rather than commuting to work and fewer people are gathering in large crowds at specific locations.
• We continuously monitor bandwidth usage with tools that analyze and correlate network statistics, which reveal network trends, and provide us with performance and capacity reports that help us manage our network. This is standard practice for AT&T. It’s what we do.

• AT&T uses self-healing architectures and restoration technologies to maintain a reliable network.
• We’ve set a high standard for network reliability through our patented Real Time Network Routing (RTNR) system. The RTNR system automatically completes domestic calls via any of more than 134 possible routes. These systems help ensure network reliability by rerouting circuits in the event of a failure on the core network.

• We prepare and train year-round for business continuity and disaster recovery scenarios with our experts around the world.
• AT&T’s Global Technology Operations Center is committed to 24x7 identifying and managing IT-related service continuity risks across the enterprise. The organization has established procedures designed to minimize the risk, the cost, and the duration of disruption to essential business processes in the event of a major crisis or disaster.
• Accordingly, we have taken a number of steps to help ensure the reliability of AT&T critical business processes and supporting infrastructures in order to provide high-quality communication services to AT&T customers. This includes up-front prevention and mitigation efforts, as well as comprehensive emergency response and recovery plans in the event of a disaster or crisis.
• We are aligned with industry standards for business continuity and resiliency. And we have a business continuity management program that focuses on continuous improvement and evolving threats.
• No one can be certain of the extent and effects of an event or disaster, but AT&T is in a strong position for preparedness.

• AT&T maintains mobility network capacity in the U.S. by closely monitoring traffic in service areas.
• Wireless voice and data traffic changes daily, so we have an extensive program to keep our network’s capacity flexible to deal with normal bandwidth projections.
• We continuously monitor our networks 24x7 for faults and address most of them via redundant systems. Continuous analysis of network statistics helps us ensure that we meet our operating and engineering standards.

AT&T determines when to add network capacity based on network load as well as business and traffic forecasts.

Our technology planning and engineering teams manage capacity in the following categories:

• Backbone links (core, edge, and uplinks)
• Peering links (private and public)
• Customer ports on access routers
• Device “soft limits”

We continuously monitor bandwidth use with a proprietary tool that analyzes and correlates network statistics, which reveal network usage trends, and provides us with performance and capacity management reports.

In addition, the tool compares report metrics with engineering objectives and notifies our operations team when the load exceeds specified thresholds.

• We support our customers through their business continuity plans by providing a wide array of products and services that will help maintain particular customer operations, applications, work centers and networks.
• For example, many employers use virtual private networks, or VPNs, as highly secure, dedicated channels for remote users to access the same network they normally have at work.
• AT&T works with our customers on VPN solutions and uses multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) to create a virtual private network.
• For resources to help you plan and mitigate unforeseen events, please visit the AT&T Business Continuity Website.