(157) Fri 16 Nov 90 15:54 By: News Desk To: All Re: AT&T adds direct dial areas St: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @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 --- msged 2.00 * Origin: Private Line - Austin TX [Have Briefcase/Will Travel] (1:382/39) @PATH: 480/200 82/60 485/1 80/5 81/5