From its San Antonio base, AT&T Expands Worldwide
Published Apr 14, 2008
San Antonio-based AT&T is the nation’s largest communications company.
San Antonio is home to AT&T, putting the city at the forefront of the innovative and competitive communications industry.
With more than 6,000 employees here, AT&T is the nation’s largest communications company offering phone, wireless, Internet and television services. In San Antonio, AT&T’s operations range from retail to repair, customer service and executive management, and its impact in the region is far-reaching.
“It brings all the people that they do business with here on an ongoing basis. It continually brings the attention of all those business partners of AT&T to San Antonio,” says Robert Peche, Director of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department. “The company has grown tremendously. They have a very, very far-reaching impact. Their business really is worldwide now. So we’re very fortunate.”
Southwestern Bell, later SBC Communications, moved to San Antonio from St. Louis in 1993 at a time when Texas provided the most business in the region. In 2005 SBC joined with AT&T, and AT&T’s headquarters moved from New Jersey. A year later AT&T acquired BellSouth, and BellSouth’s headquarters moved from Atlanta. Today San Antonio is a good fit for AT&T, says April Borlinghaus, a company spokeswoman.
“San Antonio is a great city, and it’s a city that is as diverse as our employees and customers are,” she says.
Also in San Antonio is the AT&T Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm supporting academic and economic achievement and addressing community needs. AT&T contributed more than $101 million in 2006 through corporate, employee and foundation-giving programs, Borlinghaus says.
Additionally the AT&T Pioneers are a group of active and retired employees who volunteer their time for education, literacy, environmental concerns and technology training for children and adults. Some 5,700 AT&T volunteers gave more than 670,000 hours of service in 2006 to the greater San Antonio community, Borlinghaus says.
Meanwhile San Antonio leaders are working to maintain the city for the fast-growing AT&T, investing in roads, the airport and education, Peche says.
The company’s plans call for expansion, Borlinghaus says.
AT&T is focused on growing its new TV product U-Verse TV, launched in 2006 in San Antonio and now in more than 33 markets nationwide. The service brings television into the home using an Internet connection rather than cable lines.
The company also is focused on promoting its bundled services, allowing customers to package all their phone, wireless, Internet and television services together for convenience and savings.
“We obviously really want to be the only communications and entertainment company that customers would really need,” Borlinghaus says. “We are continuing to expand our operations in all facets of our company. We are continuing to grow the company that has served its customers for more than a century.”
Story by Amy Green
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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