CHARLESTON, S.C., June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T is the first company in the nation to earn Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certification for disaster preparedness.

AT&T's certification is the first under the DHS Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program. The PS-Prep(TM) program is administered by DHS's Federal Emergency Management Agency. The program enables private sector organizations to enhance their capabilities for planning, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters and other threats.

"We are proud to be the first company to achieve this Homeland Security certification, for it reflects AT&T's long-standing commitment to business continuity through disaster preparedness," said Pamela Lackey, President of AT&T South Carolina. "This accomplishment is a tribute to South Carolina's leaders who, for many years, have championed policies that encourage investment in advanced and reliable technologies across the state. As a result, our business and network operations are state-of-the-art when it comes to performing during and after a disaster or emergency."

Over the past four years, AT&T has invested more than $950 million in its South Carolina wireless and wireline networks, improving their service quality and dependability.

Lackey said the strength of AT&T's continuity program, coupled with its industry-leading Global Network Operations Center, helps the company and its customers effectively continue operations during and after emergencies. In addition, AT&T's Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program is designed to recover/maintain communications services in the wake of disasters and includes a fleet of more than 320 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same type of equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.

"We are prepared, as well, to help customers achieve a high level of preparedness for their own business networks and IT systems," she said, noting that AT&T offers business continuity consulting to its customers. "Being proactive about continuity planning helps keep a company, or a community, be as prepared as possible for emergencies."

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. 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 largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T ?DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.