(157)   Fri 16 Nov 90 15:54
By:  News Desk
To:  All
Re:  AT&T adds direct dial areas
St:
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@EID:8852 15707ec0

FOR RELEASE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1990

     BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- AT&T has opened direct-dial service to 10 countries
and areas, including Syria, Albania and the Congo. Before now calls to the 10
areas required operator assistance.

     The new direct-dial countries and areas are the African nations of The
Congo (Country Code 242), Mauritania (222)  and Mozambique (258); Albania
(355); Bhutan (975) in Asia; Mayotte (269) in the Indian Ocean; Syria (963);
and the Pacific island nations of Cook Islands (682), Nauru (674), and
Solomon Islands (677).

     By dialing a call directly rather than using an operator, callers are
connected more quickly and easily, and at a lower cost.  As an example, a
five-minute, direct-dialed call from the U.S. to Syria during the least
expensive time of day will cost $8.95.  The least expensive operator-assisted
 rate for a five- minute call to Syria is $12.21.

     AT&T completes more than one billion international calls each year to more
than 270 countries and areas.  With the addition of the ten counties and areas
announced today, Americans can now direct-dial 177 countries.  International
calling service to Albania had not been available even through
operators before April 1990, due to restrictions the Albanian government had
placed on international calling for more than 40 years.

     All calls to Syria have required operator assistance since 1934.  Direct-
dial service is less expensive than operator- assisted calling, so the new
service will benefit the estimated 110,000 people of Syrian descent living in
the U.S.

     Direct dialing was introduced domestically by AT&T in 1951. Overseas
direct dialing began in 1970 to the United Kingdom, and by 1980 the capability
rose to 70 countries.

     For more information on international dialing, call 1-800- 874-4000.

                                  # # #


AT&T Direct-Dial Rates From Mainland U.S.

                      Initial Minute             Additional Minutes
                    Std.    Disc.   Econ.       Std.    Disc.   Econ.

Albania             3.88    3.38    2.98        2.15    2.08    1.68

Bhutan              4.68    0.00    3.78        3.48    0.00    2.98

Congo               5.38    2.99    2.49        2.69    2.29    1.89

Cook Islands        4.89    4.29    4.09        3.28    3.08    2.58

Mauritania          3.48    3.29    2.98        2.38    1.98    1.58

Mayotte             3.49    3.19    2.88        2.79    2.49    2.29

Mozambique          3.46    2.89    2.59        2.69    2.39    1.89

Nauru               3.84    3.18    2.79        2.18    2.02    1.50

Solomon Islands     3.99    3.89    3.59        2.37    2.02    1.89

Syria               2.95    2.53    2.27        2.17    1.86    1.67

Additional Information

Here's a brief look at the contries involved:

AFRICA

Congo:         This country of 1.8 million became independent from
               France in 1960, then in 1963 allied with the
               U.S.S.R. and adopted a Marxist form of government.
               The Congo has continued to have France as its
               largest trading partner.  It's heavily forrested,
               and about 132,000 sq. miles.

Mauritania:    About the size of Texas and California combined,
               it's one of the poorest of the African nations,
               with a per capita income of $466.  It has about
               20,000 registered vehicles for its 1.7 million
               population.  The number of communications lines is
               not known, since the country has not reported its
               telephone statistics to The World's Telephones
               since 1966.

Mozambique:    It has a population of 14 million, and is about the
               size of California.  It is located on Afica's east
               coast between South Africa and Tanzania.  It's
               official language is Portugese, a throwback to the
               establishment of the first Portugese port in 1505.
               It was a Portugese colony until 1975.

ASIA

Bhutan:        This tiny Himilayan kingdom of 18,000 sq. miles
               (about the size of Vermont) has a population of 1.4
               million.  Seventy-five percent of its population is
               Buddhist.  Bhutan became independent in 1949, but
               still has strong ties with India, who has helped
               guide its foreign affairs.

EUROPE

Albania:       Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Albania has a
               population of 3 million.  Until April, 1990, AT&T
               has never provided service to Albania, at its
               request.  In April the first International
               telephone traffic was permitted, now Albania can be
               dialed directly.
INDIAN OCEAN

Mayotte:       A small island of 70,000 people, located northwest
               of Madagascar.  Mayotte is a French territory.

MIDDLE EAST

Syria:         Situated in the Middle East, Syria has often been
               in the news.  Syria is located on the eastern end
               of the Mediterranian Sea, is about 71 thousand sq.
               miles with a population of nearly 11 million.
               Though Syria has been accessable through operators
               for some time, this marks the first time that its
               more than 400 thousand telephones can be dialed
               directly.

PACIFIC OCEAN

Cook Islands:  This small island nation of 17 thousand has more
               than 2,500 access telephone lines, or about 14.5
               per 100 population, according to The World's
               Telephones book.

Nauru:         A tiny island of about 8 square miles, Nauru is
               best known for its phosphate deposits, which have
               given it one of the highest per capita incomes in
               the world--$21,400.  It's 8,000 population is 99
               percent literate.  In 1947 it was made a UN trust
               territory under Australian administration.  It
               became an independent republic in 1968.
               Communications to the island is by an INTELSAT
               earth station providing 13 circuits.  Locally, two
               600-line exchanges serve the island's more than
               1,400 telephones.

Solomon
Islands:       Its 10 thousand plus square miles consists of 10
               large volcanic islands and four groups of smaller
               ones.  It has a population of more than 2.5 million
               and is an independent nation within the
               Commonwealth of Nations.  It has a population of
               305 thousand, with nearly 46 thousand households.
Countries and areas that can be direct dialed on AT&T:
(* indicates as of November 15, 1990)

Albania *
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua
Argentina
Aruba
Ascension Island
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan *
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
British Vergin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde Islands
Cayman Islands
Chile
China, People's Republic
Colombia
Congo *
Cook Islands *
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egyupt
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Faeroe Islands
Fiji Islands
Finland
France
French Antilles
French Guyiana
French Polynesia
Gabon Republic
Gambia
German Dem. Rep.
Germany, Fed. Rep. of
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada (Carriacou)
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guantanamo Bay (U.S. Naval Base)
Guatemala
Guinea, Peoples Republic
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland, Rep. of
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya, Rep. of
Kiribati
Korea, Rep. of
Kuwait
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macao
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mauritania *
Mayotte *
Micronesia, Fed. States of
Monaco
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique *
Namibia
Nauru *
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands
Nevis
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger Republic
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Reunion Island
Romania
Rwanda
Saipan
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Senegal Rep.
Seychelles Islands
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands *
South Africa
Soviet Union (Moscow)
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Pierre & Miguelon
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria *
Taiwan, Rep. of China
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo, Rep. of
Tonga Island
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks & Caicos Islands
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Vatican City
Venezuela
Western Samoa
Yeman Arab Republic
Yugoslavia
Zaire, Rep. of
Zambia
Zimbabwe



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