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STAFF WRITER
SROBERTSON@SWOKNEWS.COM
MICHAEL D. POPE/STAFF
Steve Hahn, president of AT&T Oklahoma, makes a point while talking about the
companys plans to expand technology for its customer base.
AT&T, DirecTV
merger to benefit
customers of both
BY KIM MCCONNELL
STAFF WRITER
KMCCONNELL@SWOKNEWS.COM
Hahn also said AT&T has continued to heavily invest in Oklahoma, including its southwest region. He said the company is
changing its approach to its customer base as customers over
the past decade have shifted
from traditional land lines to
wireless technology.
Traditional phones are quickly becoming a thing of the past,
Hahn said, estimating that 75 to
80 percent of the companys traditional customers from 2000 are
gone as more American households transitioned to wireless
technology. A lot of homes have
disconnected from land lines.
AT&T has tried to keep pace
with that shift by investing in
wireless technology, an estimated $800 million investment in Oklahoma in the last three years,
most in rural communities,
Hahn said. As a result, he estimated that 99 percent of Oklahomans can be served by AT&T,
with the company working to establish new sites providing additional services, filling gaps in
its network. He pointed to the
constant need for expansion, saying that almost as soon as capacity is expanded, it is used up.
Were trying to fill gaps
where needed and add capacity
to the network, he said.
Deano Cox, director of external affairs for AT&T Oklahoma,
said delivering the seamless
service that customers want in
their communications is a tall
task, the reason AT&T is investing at its existing pace.
The company also continues to
participate in technology-based
initiatives, such as It Can Wait,
an
anti-texting-while-driving
campaign that the company
started in 2010. Five million people have taken the It Can Wait
pledge, Hahn said, noting that reflects changing attitudes in texting while driving. He noted the
technological advances now
available build on that interest,
such as a drive mode app that
AT&T offers that prevents a cell
phone from receiving texts.
While some phones have to be activated into that mode, Hahn said
the mode on his phone is automatically activated whenever
his phone is moving faster than
15 miles per hour, sending a message that the phones owner cant
respond.
Hahn said AT&T also is looking
at a chip to be installed in all GM
SEE AT&T, 3B
AP
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