AT&T Wireless Services eliminates roaming charges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – February 19, 1996 -- AT&T Wireless Services has announced the elimination of "roaming" charges for all digital cellular customers in the state of Florida effective Monday.

With the new "Florida Calling" service enhancement, roaming charges (the additional fees or higher airtime rates incurred by customers who make cellular calls from outside their home calling area) will be a thing of the past for digital customers.

According to Bill Oberlink, AT&T Wireless Services Southeast Regional President, "This is another step in an ongoing process to offer digital customers advanced, cost-effective technologies."

"Florida Calling" will be available to AT&T Wireless Services digital customers and new digital subscribers on currently offered rate plans. Customers on older rate plans can be upgraded to new rate plans to receive the service by calling 1-800-822-3551.

"We anticipate that the new 'Florida Calling' program can save our customers between 30 to 70 percent on their current roaming charges – this is a real advantage for our customers on the go," said Oberlink. "These are permanent savings. This is not a short-term promotion, but a long-term rate restructure."

Customers who take advantage of "Florida Calling" will be charged their regular home calling "peak" or "off peak" rate as long as the call is made or received from within the state of Florida. For instance, an Orlando customer will no longer be charged additional roaming charges for calls made from Miami or Tampa.

In addition to "Florida Calling," digital customers also have access to advanced technologies such as Caller I.D., voice activated dialing, voice mail and message waiting indicator.

AT&T Wireless Services Inc., is the nation's largest provider of cellular service offering wireless voice and data communications. The company has nearly five million cellular customers and licenses to eventually cover 80 percent of the U.S. The company is the nation's fifth largest messaging service provider and world class leader in air-to-ground communications service.