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COVID-19: Our Response

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As our company responds to COVID-19, the health and safety of our employees and customers remain our top priority. The work we do is critical to millions of people and companies around the world, and we’re committed to being there when our customers and colleagues need us most. Here’s how we’re responding.

Latest Updates
FirstNet & First Responders
Consumers
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Employees
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Latest Updates

April 1, 2020 11:30am CT

How to Request Waiver of Late Fees and Overage Charges

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 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 Ends with Continued High Phone and Data Use

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, including deploying a cell tower on wheels to support the Naval Ship Mercy in Los Angeles.

We are adapting and adding capacity when and where needed to address the minimal congestion resulting from the shift of traffic from work and school to home. 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.

Tuesday (March 31, 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 28% compared to an average Tuesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 41% from an average Tuesday.
Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 84% from an average Tuesday.
We currently have 14 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 28 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 31, 2020 11:30a.m. CT

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.

FirstNet Communications Platform Celebrates Connecting First Responders for 2 Years

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.

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Elevated Calling and Data Use Continues on Thursday

Overall our network is performing well as our customers shift to staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to see high demand for connectivity. Our dedicated employees are working around the clock installing, maintaining and repairing equipment so our customers can communicate with each other and stay connected to the world. Performance on our FirstNet network for first responders has been excellent. Our investments in our network and in software defined networking have given us the tools to monitor and dynamically adjust traffic patterns. We are adding capacity to address congestion when and where it appears.

Thursday (March 26, 2020) Network Insights:

Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 29% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We’ve seen a 46% increase in text messaging in the last two and a half weeks.
Wireless voice minutes of use were up 27% compared to an average Thursday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 38% from an average Thursday.
We currently have 10 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 22 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 27, 2020 11:30am CT

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.

COVID-19 Puts FirstNet to the Test

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 changed the world as we knew it. Lives were lost, major economic and societal impacts struck the nation, and first responders’ inability to talk with one another in an emergency was exposed. This is what led to the creation of FirstNet – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community.

Once again, our country is experiencing a national crisis likely to change the way we operate. And while we don’t fully know how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the future, we do know that with FirstNet, public safety can be confident in their critical communications capabilities as they effectively coordinate and respond today and for decades to come. Visit our latest blog to learn how first responders across the country are putting FirstNet to the test, and reconfirming their confidence in the nation’s only dedicated network for public safety.

FirstNet Apps Integral in First Responder COVID-19 Response Efforts

The COVID-19 public health crisis is creating a wave of change in how society operates. While consumers are using more apps to manage working from home and helping their children with distance learning, stay engaged and entertained, public safety agencies across the country are using the FirstNet App Catalog as they adjust and modify their response to COVID-19.

First responders are using this dedicated technology and app ecosystem to respond to routine and emergency situations every day in communities large and small. And as public safety’s partner, FirstNet is helping first responders efficiently and effectively coordinate and communicate their emergency response. The catalog identifies more than 100 highly secure apps tested for public safety that can help cost-effectively enhance their situational awareness and other capabilities. Check out the latest examples of the app here.

March 26, 2020 8:00pm CT

Bonus for Frontline Managers

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 26, 2020 1:45pm CT

AT&T CEO of Consumer Encourages Digital Interactions for Quicker Service

AT&T CEO Thaddeus Arroyo encourages customers with a myAT&T account to visit att.com or tap the app for 24/7 access. These 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.

You can do more at att.com and the myAT&T app with 24/7 access:

Check your balance
Pay your bill
Make payment arrangements
Wi-Fi troubleshooting
Add or remove a feature
Purchase accessories

Calling Keeps Cruising on Wednesday

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. We continuously monitor bandwidth usage which reveal network trends, and provide us the ability to add capacity in areas where we see potential congestion in our network.

Network insights from Wednesday, March 25:

Wireless voice minutes of use were up 30% compared to an average Wednesday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use were 93% higher than an average Wednesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 51% from an average Wednesday.
Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 21% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We currently have 8 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 18 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

For an overview of our initiatives related to COVID-19 through March 25, click here.

March 26, 2020 11:30am CT

AT&T PREPAID and Cricket Intro New Limited Time Offers

Beginning Friday, March 27, AT&T PREPAID is offering new ways to help ease financial stress during these difficult times, click here for more information.

Also beginning Friday, March 27, at Cricket Wireless, we’re offering new ways to help customers during this tough time, click here for more information.

March 26, 2020 10:30am CT

AT&T CEO Jeff McElfresh Discusses Network Performance on Yahoo! Finance

AT&T CEO Jeff McElfresh catches up with Yahoo Finance’s Alexis Christoforous, Brian Sozzi, and Dan Howley this morning on how the telecommunications industry is navigating and serving customers through the coronavirus crisis.

Check it out here.

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March 25, 2020 3:30pm CT

AT&T Gives 20% Bonus to Front Line 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.

CWA Recognizes AT&T Actions to Support Employees

(See Statement)

Our members are doing incredible work under extraordinary circumstances, and the bonus pay we negotiated with AT&T recognizes that work. We have also worked together to reach agreements for enhanced safety procedures and sick and family leave protection for all CWA-represented AT&T workers.

Our priority is to ensure worker and customer safety, solve problems, and provide reliable essential service to our customers. We continue to work collaboratively to address issues as they arise.

AT&T’s response to this crisis should be a model for other corporations. Concrete actions like this bonus, enhanced safety procedures, sick and family leave protection, and suspension of stock buybacks prove that AT&T cares about its employees and their customers.

Wi-Fi Calling Continues to Lead the Way as People Stay Connected on Tuesday

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. We continue to see significantly higher than normal calling minutes of use across our network, with Wi-Fi calling leading the way. 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.

Network insights from Tuesday, March 24:

Wireless voice minutes of use was up 30% compared to an average Tuesday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use was 70% higher than an average Tuesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 40% from an average Tuesday.
Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 28% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We currently have 7 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 18 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

Connecting Military and Family at No Cost

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.

Be on the Look Out for Scammers

Scammers are trying to take advantage of the global health emergency. While we have not seen an increase of suspicious robocalls across our network, an increasing percentage of fraudulent robocalls are using coronavirus as bait.

Here are some of the things we do to fight bad robocalls, and how you can help.

We recently added AT&T Call Protect1 for millions of AT&T wireless customers at no charge. It’s a network-level service that automatically blocks suspected fraud calls. It also labels spam and other categories of calls so you can choose to answer or not.
To block more unwanted calls, send them straight to voicemail, or customize the service, you can download our free accompanying app of the same name – AT&T Call Protect.
You can report unwanted robocalls that get through – to help us make our blocking services even stronger. Just click on the bad call in the app’s call log.

For more details, visit our latest blog posted in the "Consumers" section on this site.

AT&T Business CEO Discusses the Latest on COVID-19 Response and Serving Customers

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.

Listen Here

March 25, 2020 3:30pm CT

Check out our latest television ad.

Watch Now

March 25, 2020 3:30pm CT

Hear Jeff McElfresh, AT&T Communications CEO, talk about our network performance, our support of FirstNet and the first responder community and how we are caring for our customers and employees.

Watch Now

March 24, 2020

AT&T Offering Schools 60 days unlimited data for Laptops, Tablets and Hotspots; Also Offers free access to Caribu Video Calling App

With the unprecedented impacts COVID-19 is having on society, keeping millions of students and teachers home for the foreseeable future, we’re stepping up to enable virtual classrooms across the country. Beginning today, we’re offering schools a way to save on unlimited wireless broadband connectivity for students. Through May 22nd, qualified schools activating new lines on qualified data-only plans for school-issued tablets, 4G LTE-enabled laptops and hotspot devices will get the wireless data service at no cost for 60 days.

And schools know they need to protect their students while online – so we’re also making AccessMyLANTM for the qualified lines available at no cost for 60 days. This service allows school administrators to manage the internet sites their students can access to help protect them from unsafe content and also to block malicious sites, malware and hacking attempts. Please visit the Community section, under Supporting Education, on this site to learn more about these offers.

Additionally, to help keep families connected during this uncertain time, AT&T is also 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. The Caribu application, which integrates children's books, coloring activities, and games will be available to families across the country and around the world, free of cost, for the next two months.

Caribu is the second recipient to receive a contribution from AT&T’s new $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections fund, announced last week. AT&T has also contributed $1M to Khan Academy to help improve and expand online learning resources to meet growing demand from parents, teachers and students, including those who rely on free resources and need Khan Academy the most.

AT&T is also 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. Click here to learn more.

March 24, 2020

More Calls on Monday as Customers Stay Connected from Home

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. Our customers continue to make a lot of calls, with Wi-Fi calling continuing to lead the way up 78% versus a normal Monday as customers keep connected while staying home. 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.

Network insights from Monday, March 23:

Wireless voice minutes of use was up 39% compared to an average Monday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use was 78% higher than an average Monday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 45% from an average Monday.
Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 27% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We currently have 8 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 18 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 22, 2020

Watch Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman & CEO, share an update on the network and talk about how our technicians are providing support to first responders during COVID-19 response.

Watch Now

March 22, 2020

Unparalleled FirstNet support for first responders, updated pledge to waive wireless overage fees

As first responders 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. It’s this type of unparalleled emergency support that distinguishes FirstNet, the only nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to America’s ﬁrst responders and public safety community, from best-effort commercial wireless networks built for consumer use.

We’re committed to helping our customers and our communities get through this crisis. That’s why today we’ve also announced an addition to our Keep Americans Connected Pledge.

As of March 13, 2020, and for the next 60 days, we will waive domestic 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.

We’re here with you and keeping you connected.

March 21, 2020

Extending Paid Leave for Our Employees

As we continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on our business, our people and our communities, we recognize some of our employees have specific needs and cannot fulfill their roles either at the workplace or from home during this time – so we want to continue to help. We are extending our original 80 hours of paid, excused time off to up to a total of 160 hours for the following scenarios:

Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and remain quarantined.
Employees who are at higher risk due to an underlying health condition (60+, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer).
Parents or guardians of children whose schools or daycares have closed for COVID-19 and for whom another child care option is not yet available.
Primary caregiver for someone diagnosed with COVID-19 who is unable to provide self-care.

We are grateful for what our employees are doing to deliver on the important responsibility of taking care of our nation’s first responders and FirstNet subscribers, healthcare providers, government leaders, educators and critical businesses as they turn to us for support through this unpredictable storm.

March 20, 2020

AT&T Closing Additional Retail Locations Today

Due to coronavirus, starting today 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.

March 20, 2020

Network Trends: Work-From-Home Drives Voice Calls

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.

March 20, 2020

Expanded Content for Our Video Customers

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’re kicking it off with an complimentary preview of SHOWTIME for our DIRECTV and U-verse customers until March 26. And in the coming weeks, we’ll offer additional previews of premium channels and additional free content, including more news and entertainment, and kids programming. Visit our Consumers and Communities section for more details.

March 20, 2020

AT&T Creates New $10M Distance Learning & Family Connections Fund

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

Our first contribution of $1 million will go to Khan Academy. This collaboration will improve and expand online learning resources to meet growing demand from parents, teachers and students, including those who rely on free resources and need Khan Academy the most. It will also support the development of new resources designed specifically for COVID-19 school closures.

With an estimated 47 million students now learning from home in the U.S. alone, Khan Academy is meeting a critical need. Our collaboration comes alongside a $1 million contribution from Google.org for this online learning initiative, as we both commit to support distance learning. Please see our Consumer and Communities section for more information.

Launched New Command Centers to Support AT&T Business 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. We’re highlighting three of the six Command Centers in our latest story and will highlight the next three in an upcoming post. Please see our customer and communities section for more information about our command centers.

March 19, 2020

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.

Serving Those Who Serve

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 public safety community.

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Letter From CEO of AT&T Communications

Updated March 18, 2020

I don’t think any of us have ever experienced a situation quite like this one. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected virtually everyone around the world, upended the engines of commerce, closed schools and some businesses, and disrupted the rhythms of our daily lives.

Connectivity is always essential to our customers – doctors and nurses, first responders, governments, banks, grocery stores, pharmacies and others delivering vital services. It’s even more critical during a public health crisis that’s challenging everyone. In fact, as a critical infrastructure provider, AT&T believes we have a civic duty to step up and keep our customers and communities connected.

I wanted to share some of the ways the people of AT&T are working to respond. We will keep this site updated with new developments as they happen.

Our path forward

One of AT&T’s core values is to Be There when people need us. And we can’t do that if our employees are sick. A simple, effective way to minimize risk is to maximize social distance. So last Friday, we implemented a sweeping work-from-home policy. If AT&T employees can work from home, they will.

We greatly appreciate our customers’ patience as we manage through these challenging times. In these situations, we work to prioritize and serve critical needs. And because we anticipate higher call volumes, we recommend, when your need isn’t critical and when possible, reaching out through att.com or our myAT&T app for customer support, additional resources or to access our online store.

Staying safe on the frontlines

At the same time, we have implemented new policies and guidelines to help protect our non-management and management employees who are on the frontline serving customers or who can’t do their jobs from home. We’re working to keep up with demand for hand sanitizer and other supplies and are sourcing these from multiple vendors.

In retail, our goal is to limit employees’ exposure while still upholding our responsibility to meet the essential needs of customers, FirstNet subscribers and the public safety community, who are counting on us.

So, today we’ll begin closing 40% of our company owned retail stores nationwide. Closures will continue while we concentrate our resources on select stores to meet the immediate service needs of our customers, including first responders and healthcare providers.
At stores that do remain open, we’re adjusting store hours to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and we’re closing all stores on Sundays.
Staffing in stores that remain open will adhere to social distancing guidelines, while still being able to serve customers.

Our call center capacity has declined because of the leave accommodations we have made for employees who are parents of children whose schools have closed and our employees who are at higher risk for the coronavirus. As a result of reduced capacity in our call centers, we’re taking the following steps:

Using new IVR (Interactive Voice Response) messaging that encourages customers to take advantage of our self-help online tools at att.com.
Adjusting call center staffing levels and shifts to ensure proper social distancing. This may result in longer hold times for service.
And just like in retail, we’re taking actions to prioritize service issues — optimizing the handling of calls, whether inbound or outbound, and balancing capacity across all functions.

Our field technicians play a critical role in installing and repairing our services for millions of businesses and consumers. While their mission is essential to keep our customers connected, we also recognize that there is a balance between providing service and keeping our technicians safe. To accomplish that balance, we’re providing them 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. Our first priority is repair of the network and the services we provide to customers. Our second priority is installing broadband for health care providers, first responders, government and other essential business and service providers. We will work other installations as resources allow.

Supporting customers and communities

Here’s what we’re doing to help our customers and our communities get through this:

Last week, we announced that we are suspending broadband usage caps for our home internet customers. That means no overage fees while people are home using more data.
We’re keeping our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for anyone who needs them.
We continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited-income households at $10/month through our Access from AT&T program.
We won’t terminate service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer due to an inability to pay their bill as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – and we’re waiving late payment fees for those customers.
We are underwriting expenses for a “one-stop” resource center to support eLearning Days from the State Educational Technology Directors Association. It’s available to help all educators handle school closings and virtual learning.
As public safety’s partner – not simply a vendor or commercial network provider – our FirstNet teams are working closely with first responders – firefighters, police, medics and more – to keep them connected when and where they need it most.
And we are helping businesses and universities stand-up virtual offices and classrooms with conference call and video conferencing with Cisco Webex Meetings with AT&T. We’re also enabling businesses to forward calls to both mobile and landline phones with AT&T IP Flexible Reach.

Connecting First Responders

For over a month now, police, fire, EMS, public health, emergency management and military personnel have been working around the clock to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Through FirstNet, AT&T is not just a vendor or commercial network provider. We're the partner for public safety providers, giving first responders the connectivity that they need to serve our communities.

Emergency Operations Centers: FirstNet liaisons at AT&T are embedded with state and federal emergency operations centers. This strengthens public safety’s command and control of their network and helps ensure they have the mobile connectivity and devices they need to respond to the coronavirus.
FirstNet Fleet: All at no additional charge, public safety agencies on FirstNet have access to a dedicated fleet of 76 deployable cell sites. The deployment of these assets is led by the FirstNet Response Operations Group, a team of former first responders who manage the program in alignment with the National Incident Management System and FEMA’s National Response Framework.

We've deployed FirstNet fleet assets such as portable cell sites, optimized the network or provided FirstNet Ready™ devices to support quarantine zones, airports, emergency operations and other public safety centers.

Looking Ahead

I want you to know that AT&T will continue to do everything we can do to help. I truly believe that together we can help slow the spread of the coronavirus and lessen its impact. And once we do that, it is only a matter of time before we get our communities back to normal.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this challenge together.

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Jeff McElfresh

CEO of AT&T Communications

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FirstNet & First Responders

Updated March 31, 2020

Public Safety’s Network Supports COVID-19 Emergency Response from Coast to Coast

Police, fire, EMS, public health, emergency management and military personnel have been working around the clock to assess and mitigate the COVID-19 spread nationwide. And that means having the connectivity they need to efficiently and effectively coordinate and communicate their emergency response. As public safety’s partner – not simply a vendor or commercial network provider – FirstNet is proud to be by their side, helping to address public safety’s needs and deliver for the people our communities are counting on most. FirstNet is the only nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to America’s first responders and public safety community. Public safety agency and individual first responders can sign-up for service or order devices online.

Public Safety Agencies Now Get Free Smartphones for Life - Updated March 31, 2020

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.

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Consumers

AT&T Remains Focused on Keeping You Healthy and Connected

A Letter to Our Customers - Connected Together - Updated March 26, 2020

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,

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Thaddeus Arroyo
CEO – AT&T Consumer

For More Details Click Here

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How to Request Waiver of Late Fees and Overage Charges - Added April 1, 2020

April 1, 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 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.

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Connecting Military and Family at No Cost - Updated March 25, 2020

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.

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Keeping Customers and Communities Safe

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:

Homes … where parents are working and kids are being schooled remotely.
Businesses … where those who must be in the office, due to the nature of their work, have a critical need to stay connected.
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.
Quarantine centers … where both the medical staff and the patients in their care need to stay connected to the outside world.

_{^{*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.}}

To See Current AT&T Prepaid Offer Click Here

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Expanded Content for Our Video Customers - Updated March 24, 2020

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

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Video Viewership Trends – Added March 27, 2020

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.

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What AT&T is Doing to Help Provide a Safe Environment - Updated March 30, 2020

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.

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Ways You Can Keep Your Personal Devices Sanitized and Safe

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.

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Protect Against COVID-19 Scams - Updated March 25, 2020

March 25, 2020

Fighting Coronavirus Scam Calls

Scammers are trying to take advantage of the global health emergency. We have not seen an increase of suspicious robocalls across our network. But an increasing percentage of fraudulent robocalls are using coronavirus as bait.

Here are some of the things we do to fight bad robocalls, and how you can help.

We recently added AT&T Call Protect¹ for millions of AT&T wireless customers at no charge. It’s a network-level service that automatically blocks suspected fraud calls. It also labels spam and other categories of calls so you can choose to answer or not.

You don’t have to do anything to make the service work. But if you want to do more, you can.

To block more unwanted calls, send them straight to voicemail, or customize the service, you can download our free accompanying app of the same name – AT&T Call Protect.
You can report unwanted robocalls that get through – to help us make our blocking services even stronger. Just click on the bad call in the app’s call log.

We work behind the scenes for you, as well. Earlier this month, our global fraud team reached a new milestone: They’ve blocked 6 billion suspected illegal robocalls since the launch of our network analytics-based blocking program in 2016. The program works in addition to AT&T Call Protect, and it covers everyone on our network – home phones, business phones, wireless and VoIP.

We also work to protect our customers from abusive, illegal and unwanted text messages. You can help there, too. Please forward suspicious text messages, including coronavirus messages, to 7726 (SPAM) so we can investigate them.

Finally, the AT&T Mobile Security app can help protect you against fake apps that may try to take advantage of the world crisis. It also provides alerts about data breaches.

The best defense against all kinds of fraud is still the same – stop and think. You can read more about coronavirus scams on our Cyber Aware website.

¹ _{^{AT&T Call Protect is available for consumer and business postpaid wireless accounts with eligible service. AT&T Call Protect is not available for AT&T PREPAID℠ accounts. AT&T Call Protect service requirements: Compatible device is required and includes iPhone 6 or newer, running iOS v9.3+ and AT&T HD Voice-enabled Android smartphones. Some features vary by device operating system. Phones sold by other carriers or direct from device manufacturers may not be eligible for AT&T Call Protect.}}

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.

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Businesses

If you are a business customer, click here for more information on how AT&T is supporting you.

Supporting Small Businesses and Enterprises Across the Country

VitalTech and AT&T Business Offer Free Telehealth Services - Updated March 31, 2020

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.

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Business as Unusual: COVID-19 Podcast Update - Added March 25, 2020

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.

Listen Here

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Keeping Businesses Connected

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.}}

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Launched Command Centers to Support AT&T Business Customers - Updated March 20, 2020

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.

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Helping Businesses Prepare with the Right Communications Tools

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!

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Communities

Helping Our Communities in Times of Need

Supporting Education - Updated March 24, 2020

March 24, 2020

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

Available for all qualified public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities

New customers in education can connect and collaborate with AT&T Office@Hand--Premium at no cost

With the COVID-19 virus having unprecedented impacts on our society and keeping millions of students and teachers home for the foreseeable future, AT&T* is stepping up to enable virtual classrooms across America. AT&T is offering schools a way to save on unlimited wireless broadband connectivity for students. Through May 22nd, qualified schools activating new lines on qualified data-only plans for school-issued tablets, 4G LTE-enabled laptops and hotspot devices will get the wireless data service at no cost for 60 days.¹

And schools know they need to protect their students while online – which is why AT&T is also making AccessMyLAN^TM for the qualified lines available at no cost for 60 days.¹ This service allows school administrators to manage the internet sites their students can access to help protect them from unsafe content and also to block malicious sites, malware and hacking attempts.

“We know that schools and universities across America are grappling with the impact of COVID-19, and that moving the classroom into the home requires access to the internet for all students,” said Mo Katibeh, EVP-chief marketing officer, AT&T Business. “This is an important step to help schools address the challenge. AT&T is committed to finding innovative ways to support education institutions during this public health crisis.”

To keep administrators, teachers, parents, and students connected, we’re also offering AT&T Office@Hand Premium powered by RingCentral at no cost for eligible new customers in K-12 education, as well as healthcare and non-profit social services for up to 60 days with agreement. This enables schools to quickly activate video meetings and always-on chat groups where teachers and students can share files and collaborate on assignments. Schools can setup hotline, phone, fax and SMS capabilities through Office@Hand mobile and computer apps.

Supporting Distance Learning Tools

Beyond helping schools meet the connectivity challenge, AT&T is directly supporting the development and deployment of eLearning resources. This includes launching a $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund to give parents, students and teachers tools they need for at-home learning. The fund launched with a $1M contribution to Khan Academy – to help them improve and expand online learning resources to meet the growing demand from parents, teachers and students.

Additionally, to help keep families connected during this uncertain time, 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.

Keeping Communities Connected

To further support Internet access to communities across the country, we’ve expanded our low-cost option for home Internet service, the Access from AT&T program. In addition to those previously qualifying as limited income households for $10 per month service, now households participating in the National School Lunch Program and Head Start are eligible. We’re also offering new Access from AT&T customers two months of free service.

*About AT&T Communications

We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the nation’s fastest wireless network.** And according to America’s biggest test, we have the nation’s best wireless network.*** We’re building FirstNet just for first responders and creating next-generation mobile 5G. With a range of TV and video products, we deliver entertainment people love to talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve nearly 3 million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to their communities.

AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). Learn more at att.com/CommunicationsNews.

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. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.

© 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

**Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data average download speeds for Q4 2019. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

***GWS OneScore, September 2019.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. We have a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities, promote academic and economic achievement, and address community needs. Our AT&T Aspire initiative uses innovation in education to drive student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $550 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.

_{^{1 After 22GB, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy. Offer limited to select data plans and may be used for educational purposes only. Receive bill credits for data plan (min. $50/mo.; max credit $100) and AccessMyLAN svc (min. $9.99/mo.; max credit $19.98) for 60 days. Restrictions apply. More details are available here.}}

March 24, 2020

To help keep families connected during this uncertain time, 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.

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Employees

Our Paid Time Off and Work From Home Policies for COVID-19

AT&T Gives 20% Bonus to Frontline Employees - Updated March 25, 2020

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.

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Bonus for Frontline Managers - Added March 26, 2020

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.

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Paid Time Off for Employees - Updated March 25, 2020

March 25, 2020

Extending Paid Leave for Our Employees

As we continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on our business, our people and our communities, we recognize some of our employees have specific needs and cannot fulfill their roles either at the workplace or from home during this time – so we want to continue to help. We are extending our original 80 hours of paid, excused time off to up to a total of 160 hours for the following scenarios:

Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and remain quarantined.
UPDATED: Employees who are at higher risk due to an underlying health condition (65+, chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, immunocompromised including cancer treatment, severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40) or certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease).
Parents or guardians of children whose schools or daycares have closed for COVID-19 and for whom another child care option is not yet available.
Primary caregiver for someone diagnosed with COVID-19 who is unable to provide self-care.

We are grateful for what our employees are doing to deliver on the important responsibility of taking care of our nation’s first responders and FirstNet subscribers, healthcare providers, government leaders, educators and critical businesses as they turn to us for support through this unpredictable storm.

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.

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Work From Home Policy

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.

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Additional Actions

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.

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Network

Updated March 31, 2020

Network Preparedness & COVID-19

As a global company, we have extensive experience in planning for and responding to a wide variety of situations around the world. Our teams are closely monitoring developments in the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and are taking the appropriate steps – consistent with CDC and WHO recommendations – to help maintain the ongoing health and safety of our employees and customers.

FAQ

Are you seeing any new network traffic trends? – Updated April 1, 2020

April 1, 2020

March Ends with Continued High Phone and Data Use

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, including deploying a cell tower on wheels to support the Naval Ship Mercy in Los Angeles.

We are adapting and adding capacity when and where needed to address the minimal congestion resulting from the shift of traffic from work and school to home. 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.

Tuesday (March 31, 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 28% compared to an average Tuesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 41% from an average Tuesday.
Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 84% from an average Tuesday.
We currently have 14 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 28 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

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.

03.30.2020_COVID-19_Network_Traffic_Blog_DataGraphic

March 30, 2020

Weekend Closes Out With Increased Calling and Data Use

Overall our network is performing well during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to see high demand for voice calling and data. Our dedicated employees are working around the clock installing, maintaining and repairing equipment so our customers can communicate with each other and stay connected to the world. Performance on our FirstNet network for first responders has been excellent and we continue to deploy additional assets to support them as needed. Our investments in our network and in software defined networking have given us the tools to monitor and dynamically adjust traffic patterns. We are adding capacity to address congestion when and where it appears.

Sunday (March 29, 2020) Network Insights:

Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 19% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
Wireless voice minutes of use were up 33% compared to an average Sunday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 65% from an average Sunday.
Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 76% from an average Sunday.
We’ve seen a 46% increase in text messaging in the last two and a half weeks.
We currently have 12 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 22 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 29, 2020

Increased Calling and Data Use Continues This Weekend

Overall our network is performing well as our customers shift to staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to see high demand for connectivity. Our dedicated employees are working around the clock installing, maintaining and repairing equipment so our customers can communicate with each other and stay connected to the world. Performance on our FirstNet network for first responders has been excellent and we continue to deploy additional assets to support them as needed. Our investments in our network and in software defined networking have given us the tools to monitor and dynamically adjust traffic patterns. We are adding capacity to address congestion when and where it appears.

Saturday (March 28, 2020) Network Insights:

Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 19% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
Wireless voice minutes of use were up 24% compared to an average Saturday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 53% from an average Saturday.
Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 67% from an average Saturday.
We’ve seen a 46% increase in text messaging in the last two and a half weeks.
We currently have 12 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 22 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 28, 2020

Customers Continue to Stay Connected Friday

Overall our network is performing well as our customers shift to staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to see high demand for connectivity. Our dedicated employees are working around the clock installing, maintaining and repairing equipment so our customers can communicate with each other and stay connected to the world. Performance on our FirstNet network for first responders has been excellent. Our investments in our network and in software defined networking have given us the tools to monitor and dynamically adjust traffic patterns. We are adding capacity to address congestion when and where it appears.

Friday (March 27, 2020) Network Insights:

Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 31% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
Wireless voice minutes of use were up 32% compared to an average Friday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 48% from an average Friday.
Wi-Fi calling minutes of use were up 82% from an average Friday.
We’ve seen a 46% increase in text messaging in the last two and a half weeks.
We currently have 11 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 22 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 27, 2020

Elevated Calling and Data Use Continues on Thursday

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. We continuously monitor bandwidth usage which reveal network trends, and provide us the ability to add capacity in areas where we see potential congestion in our network.

Network insights from Thursday, March 26:

Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 29% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
Wireless voice minutes of use were up 27% compared to an average Thursday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use were 78% higher than an average Thursday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 38% from an average Thursday.
We currently have 10 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 22 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 26, 2020

Calling Keeps Cruising on Wednesday

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. We continuously monitor bandwidth usage which reveal network trends, and provide us the ability to add capacity in areas where we see potential congestion in our network.

Network insights from Wednesday, March 25:

Wireless voice minutes of use were up 30% compared to an average Wednesday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use were 93% higher than an average Wednesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 51% from an average Wednesday.
Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 21% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We currently have 8 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 18 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

March 25, 2020

Wi-Fi Calling Continues to Lead the Way as People Stay Connected on Tuesday

AT&T’s network continues to perform well during the coronavirus pandemic. We continue to see significantly higher than normal calling minutes of use across our network, with Wi-Fi calling leading the way. 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.

Network insights from Tuesday, March 24:

Wireless voice minutes of use was up 30% compared to an average Tuesday.
Wi-Fi Calling minutes of use was 70% higher than an average Tuesday.
Consumer home voice calling minutes of use were up 40% from an average Tuesday.
Our core network traffic -- which includes our business, home broadband and wireless usage -- was up 28% yesterday compared to the same day last month.
We currently have 7 portable cell sites operating and have deployed more than 18 during the response to COVID-19 to bolster coverage for our FirstNet customers.

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.

03.19.2020_COVID-19_Network_Traffic_Blog_DataGraphic

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Are you seeing any network impacts today?

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.

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How does AT&T maintain network reliability?

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.

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Is AT&T prepared to handle these crisis situations?

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.

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How does AT&T maintain proper mobility network capacity in the U.S.?

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.

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How does AT&T determine when to add network capacity?

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.

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What else can be done to help mitigate potential employee network access needs, such as government – and/or employer-mandated remote access (e.g., ‘work from home’) cases?

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.

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Keep Americans Connected Pledge

Updated March 22, 2020

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 (as of March 13, 2020), 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 customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
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.

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For Account Support Information Related to COVID–19, Click Here.

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

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March 22, 2020 - AT&T Chairman & CEO Provides Update on CNN

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