In Twickenham, near London, AT&T is conducting its first ever UK Network Disaster Recovery exercise. In the exercise, which brings together the equipment and teams necessary for restoring communications in the event of an actual disaster, AT&T will share its know-how and global expertise in handling network and customer disruptions. Onsite are a command and control centre and several mobile disaster recovery units which are specially designed to replicate the AT&T network and which can be rapidly deployed via air or ground transport.

PSE&G installs the Petra Solar SunWave™ system on a utility pole in New Jersey.  The two companies have a contract to install 200,000 systems on utility and street light poles in about 300 New Jersey communities. Charlotte Raymond, photographer

AT&T AND PETRA SOLAR TEAM TO OFFER SMART GRID

SOLAR SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

Combining the benefits of Petra Solar’s smart grid and renewable energy technology with AT&T’s wireless network enables utilities to improve power quality and grid reliability

DALLAS, July 20, 2010 — AT&T* continues to further its efforts in smart grid for utility companies with a new agreement with Petra Solar,  a clean tech pioneer that combines solar generation and smart grid technology in a single system. AT&T will offer Petra Solar’s innovative technology, which allows utility companies to simultaneously address Renewable Portfolio Standard requirements and invest in a smart grid technology.

Petra Solar designs and manufactures the first smart grid interactive solar electric system specifically designed for installation on utility distribution poles, Utility Grade SunWave™ UP Series. The systems, which operate as individual power generation stations, combine solar power, smart grid and power management technologies to enable utilities to improve power quality and grid management. Petra Solar’s systems operate on streetlight and utility poles, connecting directly to the grid’s secondary voltage lines at the pole.

Last July the N.J. Board of Public Utilities approved a contract between Petra Solar and New Jersey’s largest utility, PSE&G, to generate 40MW of power through SunWave solar systems

installed on up to 200,000 poles in New Jersey. The intelligent photovoltaic solar units are currently being installed throughout the state’s six largest cities and 300 suburban communities and will be running on the AT&T wireless network.

“This program, which is part of our Solar 4 All™ initiative, brings the benefits of solar energy to every community we serve, while also creating much needed green jobs in manufacturing and installation. PSE&G’s programs to promote energy efficiency, develop renewables and accelerate infrastructure investments are putting hundreds of New Jersey residents to work at this critical time,” said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G President and COO.

“By harnessing the scale of the AT&T network to deliver more sustainable solutions, we enable wireless connections across people and businesses helping to increase efficiency,” said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. “This new relationship with Petra Solar marks another step into integrating our wireless network capabilities with the benefits of smart grid technology and the leading-edge renewable energy solutions available today.”

”We’re proud to team up with AT&T to fully utilize the intelligence of our solution,” said Dr. Shihab Kuran, President and CEO of Petra Solar.  “SunWave™ units are mounted on utility poles and connected directly to the grid at the pole. This creates a highly efficient distributed solar generation system that also provides smart grid capabilities to our customers through real-time communications between the systems in the field and the utility control center. In addition, our systems enhance electric distribution grid reliability and help stabilize the grid during periods of increased load.” Kuran also noted that “PSE&G’s clean energy project with Petra Solar’s SunWave solution is the largest solar electric project under construction in the country.”

AT&T’s suite of M2M pricing plans designed specifically for smart grids makes this solution an economical choice for utilities. In addition, AT&T offers a range of strategic mobility products and services to the utility industry, including wireless solutions for field service workers, outage detection and remote monitoring for automated metering infrastructure. AT&T’s dedicated team of industry specialists understands the business process from end to end and translates technical solutions into meaningful business value for customers.

Today’s announcement complements AT&T’s own commitment to support renewable energy resources and help foster a more energy-efficient economy. AT&T’s commitment is exemplified in the 2009 recommendations by AT&T to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recommendations for a regulatory framework that will accelerate smart grid deployment.

The joint solution offered by AT&T and Petra Solar is immediately available throughout North America.

For more information on AT&T’s smart grid solutions, visit www.att.com/utilities.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verseSM and AT&T │DIRECTVSM brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine. 

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz  to discover more about our small business services.

About Petra Solar:

Petra Solar, founded in 2006 by CEO and President, Dr. Kuran, is the pioneer of SunWave™ systems, a grid-tied, pole-mounted, distributed solar generation system. The SunWave system combines solar energy with smart-grid communications and electric grid enhancement functions to create a comprehensive utility grade solution for utilities.  Less than three years since the founding, Petra Solar shifted rapidly from “start-up to ramp-up” status after signing its first commercial contract for $200 million with PSE&G, last July.

Investors have demonstrated confidence in Petra Solar, providing $54 million in private capital since 2007.  Petra Solar is using the money to grow the company and is committed to growing jobs locally.  By creating its own R&D and manufacturing supply chain, the company has grown ten-fold in just over a year. For more information about Petra Solar visit www.petrasolar.com.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

In the basement of an AT&T network office near San Jose, technicians practice telecom repairs while wearing chemically resistant protective suits and self-contained breathing apparatus. It’s part of a Network Disaster Recovery drill AT&T is conducting this week in San Jose, Calif. The NDR program – a $500 million investment by AT&T- was formed in 1991 to help maintain communications services in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. The NDR team is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the goal of being on the scene of a catastrophic loss as quickly as conditions permit.

AT&T RECOVERY EXERCISE TO SIMULATE

SAN JOSE NETWORK DISASTER

AT&T Business Continuity Study Indicates Local Companies Prepared and Investing in New Recovery Solutions

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 12 – Communications is always a top priority in the drama that unfolds when natural or manmade disaster strikes and puts lives, property and business assets at risk. With that in mind, AT&T*, working with local officials and business leaders, will be conducting a full-scale disaster recovery simulation – a Network Disaster Recovery exercise – in San Jose from July 7 to July 16 near the Doubletree Hotel.

“This is the third visit to California by the AT&T Network Disaster Recovery Team in the last couple of years.  This shows the commitment that AT&T has made to the State and our desire to be prepared and ready to assist local and state emergency responders when a disaster strikes” , said Ken McNeely, President of AT&T California.  “We know how vital communications are in the event of an emergency and exercises like this in San Jose help prepare us to respond when needed.”

AT&T’s 2010 Business Continuity Study found that many local Bay Area businesses are prepared for disasters and several are investing in additional technology. Eighty-one percent of San Francisco/San Ramon companies that responded have business continuity plans and 79 percent are planning to invest in new technologies this year.

Some additional local results from the study include:

·         A majority of companies (58%) provide employees access to social networking tools, and 82 percent are concerned about the increasing use of this technology and its impact on security threats.

·         Similarly, 76 percent are concerned about the increasing use of mobile networks and devices and their impact on security threats.

·         A vast majority (73%) indicate they have special arrangements for communicating with key executives, while 77 percent have e-mail or text messaging capabilities to reach employees.

·         Seven out of 10 (69%) San Francisco/San Ramon businesses have systems in place that enable most employees to work from remote locations, and almost half (45%) have automated calling systems to reach employees by telephone or cell phone outside of work.

The AT&T NDR exercise simulates the loss of network operations due to manmade or natural disaster. This week, 17 semi-tractor trailers rolled into San Jose, each with essential networking technology for creating a temporary central network office. A crew of more than 60 permanent and volunteer NDR team members will assemble and turn up the central network office, first using satellite communications and a satellite COLT (cell on light truck). The exercise tests and refines the team’s speed and efficiency in restoring wired and wireline network operations in the event of an actual disaster. Essential to AT&T’s own comprehensive business continuity plan, the San Jose NDR exercise will feature more than 25 disaster recovery trailers and vehicles, including emergency communications vehicles, and a variety of smaller utility and support trailers, as well as a search-and-rescue dog team demonstration.

“We live and work in a connected world, where a local manmade or natural disaster could have effects on productivity and progress at a global scale,” said Mark Francis, Vice President – Global Network Operations Center, AT&T. “AT&T’s NDR activities and team are vital to helping to ensure our wireline and wireless networks experience minimal downtime in the event of an emergency. It’s our commitment to our customers’ safety, their businesses’ sustainability and continued innovation and possibility.”

During the past 15 years, AT&T has invested more than $500 million in its NDR program, which includes specially trained managers, engineers and technicians from across the United States, as well as a fleet of more than 300 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center. In 2008, AT&T announced that its NDR organization had consolidated wireless, wired and backbone network recovery capabilities, enabling AT&T to bring an integrated approach to disaster recovery that helps ensure the flow of both wireless and wired communications during times of need.

And, more recently, AT&T announced that in conjunction with the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (NC OSHERC), it has developed an industry-first certification program for telecom hazardous materials specialists.  Eleven members of AT&T’s NDR team were the first to receive this certification, which was awarded to them at AT&T’s NDR exercise in New Orleans in March 2010.

More information on AT&T’s NDR program is available at http://att.com/ndr

For more information on Business Continuity Services that AT&T provides, go to http://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Family/business-continuity-enterprise/... .

Study Methodology

The AT&T 2010 Business Continuity Study results are based on an online survey of 108 Information Technology (IT) executives in the San Francisco/San Ramon metropolitan area. The study was conducted by e-Rewards Market Research with companies having total revenues of more than $25 million (except for state/local government participants) in the San Francisco/San Ramon DMA (Designated Market Area). Surveys were obtained between March 5 and March 12, 2010.

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*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.