AT&T Brings Wi-Fi Access to Pennsylvania State University Campuses

AT&T will Provide Wireless Connectivity to 23 Penn State Campuses to Enhance Internet Experience for Campus Visitors

State College, Pennsylvania.-As the school year is set to begin, AT&T* is helping Penn State expand wireless broadband access to visitors on more than 23 campuses and University locations with AT&T Wi-Fi service. Under a new three-year contract, visitors coming to these 23 Penn State campuses will now be able to access the Internet from any Wi-Fi enabled device.

AT&T has begun rolling out Wi-Fi service to Penn State’s campuses, starting with University Park and Altoona. Prospective students, parents, conference attendees and other visitors will be able to access AT&T’s Wi-Fi network and connect to the Internet while on campus from their mobile device or laptop. Visitors will have unlimited access if they are one of the more than 25 million AT&T customers with a service plan that includes Wi-Fi, or they will have the option of all-day access for just $5.99 per day.

“While most universities today only offer Internet services for authorized students, staff and faculty, we recognized an increasing need among visitors for wireless Internet access on campus and wanted to make the service available to everyone,” said Jeff Reel, an Information Technology Services director at Penn State. “Whether it’s a prospective student, a visiting parent or any other campus visitor who needs an instant Internet connection, anyone can now use AT&T Wi-Fi to stay connected on our campuses.”

“We have welcomed the opportunity to join Penn State for this project and we’re thrilled to be the University’s driver to help campus visitors stay connected,” said Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president of AT&T Wi-Fi Services. “Wi-Fi access from AT&T provides the ability to connect around-the-clock – which is invaluable for people who are always on the go and need their Internet connection when they are on campus.”

Once the campus Wi-Fi networks are deployed, AT&T Wi-Fi Services will provide ongoing support for the University with 24/7 network monitoring, along with repair, maintenance and call center support.

Wi-Fi access is becoming increasingly important with the recent proliferation of smartphones, particularly popular and useful devices for always-on-the-go students. In fact, nearly half of the nearly 15 million connections at AT&T’s U.S. hotspots in the second quarter were made with integrated devices, an increase of 41 percent from the first quarter. AT&T customers with qualifying High Speed Internet, LaptopConnect or smartphone plans will have access to the Penn State hotspots, along with more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide.

In addition to the Wi-Fi deployment, AT&T recently expanded 3G mobile broadband wireless coverage in and around State College. Since 2008, more than 30 cell sites in the area have been upgraded with 3G technology to help address the growing demand for advanced wireless data products and services as more and more people’s lives become increasingly mobile.

*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.