WISCONSINREPORT.COM (04/26/08) - More southeastern Wisconsin residents and their televisions can finally break free from cable providers. Fourteen months after beginning to offer a new video choice to Wisconsin residents, ATandT Inc. has announced that ATandT U-verse(SM) TV and Internet services are now available to more than 200,000 living units in and around the Milwaukee, Racine and Sheboygan areas. ATandT introduced U-verse TV in Wisconsin in February 2007 and continues to make the service available to more southeastern Wisconsin customers, thanks in part to the Wisconsin Video Choice Act.

John DeVaul, AT&T general manager for Wisconsin, said that Wisconsin consumers have embraced AT&T U-verse TV during the past year. "We're looking forward to bringing our innovative video choice to more Wisconsin consumers in the years ahead."

"Since we've launched U-verse TV here, we've introduced new interactive features, grown our HD lineup to offer more HD channels than the local cable providers, and added sports networks that are important to Wisconsin fans -- like Big Ten Network and NFL Network," DeVaul said.

The growth of U-verse TV and the passage of the Wisconsin Video Choice Act has resulted in the creation of hundreds of new AT&T jobs in Wisconsin.

The company is currently seeking to fill 200 premises technician positions across the state, including openings in the northeast Wisconsin and south central Wisconsin areas. These positions are responsible for the installation and customer care of U-verse service. Additional information about the job opportunities, including an online application, is available at AT&T's career site located at http://www.att.jobs.

The continued expansion of U-verse TV and the need for Wisconsin employees to service these customers is in part the result of state legislation passed in December 2007 that encouraged video competition.

The Wisconsin Video Choice Act, passed overwhelmingly by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jim Doyle, created a statewide video franchising process that is bringing real video choice to more Wisconsin consumers.

Scott VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin, said the leadership of the bill's co-authors, State Assembly Representative Phil Montgomery and State Senator Jeff Plale, and Governor Doyle, in creating the new state law has made it possible for AT&T to accelerate the spread of U-verse services to more Wisconsin residents and create jobs.

"Consumers and AT&T employees are seeing the benefits of the bill," said VanderSanden. "Video choice will be a reality for increasingly more Wisconsin consumers in the future thanks to the new Wisconsin video law," he said.

AT&T is the only national provider to offer a 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service, making AT&T U-verse TV one of the most advanced television offerings available anywhere. AT&T is deploying next-generation video services, including AT&T U-verse TV, as part of its mission to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else.

For additional information on AT&T U-verse TV, or to find out whether it's available in your area, visit http://uverse.att.com.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services.

In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings.