AT&T launches consumer education program on new 888 numbers

August 16, 1995 -- BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- AT&T today announced a nationwide
program to educate consumers and businesses about the new 1-888 toll-free
prefix scheduled for introduction early next year.

The new 1-888 prefix will supplement the current toll-free 1-800 system
that has become so popular there are no longer enough numbers to satisfy
all new requests.

The education program is in response to an AT&T-funded Roper Starch
Worldwide survey which found that 99 percent of those surveyed had not
heard of the new toll-free prefix. Once they understood that 1-888 would
be toll-free, 73 percent said they would be comfortable using the new
exchange. However, fifty-seven percent of respondents thought there would
be some confusion about the transition to the two-prefix toll-free
system.

"1-800 has been a tremendous success story and with the addition of 1-888
we expect this momentum to continue," said Ken Sichau, AT&T vice president
of marketing. "As the creator of 800 service, we plan to take the lead and
use this education campaign to help make the addition of a new toll-free
prefix seamless to both businesses and consumers."

Demonstrating AT&T's commitment to the new prefix, Sichau went on to say
that the education campaign would also be used to assure customers that
AT&T's price and reliablity guarantees would apply to the new toll-free
888 numbers just as they have applied to 800 numbers.

THE EDUCATION: TOLL FREE = 800 AND 888

AT&T's education program, set to begin next month with a comprehensive news
media campaign, will be targeted to consumers throughout the top 35 U. S.
markets.

Designed to educate as well as celebrate the introduction of the new
prefix, the program will stress the following messages:

Toll free numbers may start with 1-888.

800 numbers are not going away.

888 and 800 numbers are not interchangeable; calling an 888 number will not
permit you to reach the same number with an 800 prefix.

The 888 toll-free prefix is new, not better or worse. It is not related to
business status or performance.

Consumers can still obtain listings for all toll-free telephone numbers
through AT&T's Toll-Free Directory Assistance by calling 1-800-555-1212.

NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA TOUR

A national news media tour will kick off in mid-September when two consumer
experts do television, radio and print interviews in the top 20 markets
nationwide. A second tour, targeted to other major markets, will work with
print and radio outlets in each of those markets to deliver the same
messages.

CELEBRATING THE START OF 888: AT&T TOLL FREE DAY

AT&T will inaugurate the start of 1-888 service by celebrating "AT&T Toll
Free Day" shortly after the service is available.To promote the new
numbering plan, AT&T will provide free bridge, tunnel and road tolls in
high traffic areas in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. Banners,
handouts, and radio advertising will reinforce the "888 toll-free"
message.

THE REALLY BIG CONTEST

To reinforce awareness of the new 888 prefix, and to encourage people to
become accustomed to dialing 888, AT&T will conduct a week-long call-in
contest to guess how many toll-free 888 numbers were called in the first
month. Eight hundred eighty-eight winners who come closest to the exact
number will win $888 in prizes.
 
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