EXHIBIT 99.1
ATC Contacts: Investors - Anne Alter
Director of Investor Relations
Telephone: (617) 375-7500
Media - Jim Eisenstein
Chief Development Officer
Telephone: (617) 375-7500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Tower Awarded Turnkey Services Work for 1,500
Sites with AT&T Wireless Services
Boston, Massachusetts - July 27, 2000 - American Tower Corporation (ATC) (NYSE:
AMT) today announced it has been awarded a contract by AT&T Wireless Services,
Inc. (AWS) (NYSE: AWE) to provide turnkey services for its fixed wireless
Digital Broadband network deployment in key markets throughout the United
States. The AT&T Digital Broadband network will allow AT&T to offer to its
customers a bundled package of digital communications services such as
high-speed internet access and digital phone services. American Tower has
already begun work in several markets and has been given notice to proceed with
network deployment on approximately 1,500 sites covering multiple markets in
each of its five geographic regions. Deployment for these sites is expected to
be completed by the end of 2001. Under the agreement, additional markets may be
added over the next two years.
Under the base station implementation agreement, American Tower will perform
turnkey services work on co-location sites, including RF engineering, site
acquisition, zoning, program management, construction, installation and
components. In markets where American Tower is providing services under the
agreement and where co-location opportunities are not present, American Tower
will have the exclusive right to provide build-to-suit services. It is currently
estimated that between co-location and build-to-suit there may be over 2,300
sites included in this contract over the next two years.
Additionally, American Tower announced that Jeff Ebihara has been named Vice
President-Business Development and will be responsible for all aspects of the
AT&T Digital Broadband network deployment project at American Tower. Jeff had
been Vice President and General Manager of American Tower's southeast region.
Prior to joining ATC, Jeff was employed by AT&T Wireless Services where he
directed all system development operations for AT&T Wireless in the Southeast.
He also led all national digital broadband site development initiatives for AT&T
Wireless, including co-location, bulk siting, and build-to-suit strategies.
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Jim Eisenstein, Chief Development Officer of American Tower, stated, "Expanding
our relationship with AT&T Wireless Services has been an integral part of our
corporate development strategy and we are thrilled to have been awarded this
contract. The base station implementation agreement will give American Tower the
opportunity to provide fast, reliable and high quality services to support AWS'
aggressive implementation and deployment plans for its Digital Broadband
service. In addition, we are very happy that Jeff Ebihara has taken the lead in
assuring that we meet AWS' needs."
Larry Seifert, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AT&T
Fixed Wireless Services, stated, "American Tower is in a great position to help
us meet our aggressive build out plan for fixed wireless service. They have the
capacity in house to fulfill this contract and they have shown that they can
provide us with high quality end to end services. We are happy to extend the
AT&T relationship with American Tower to our Fixed Wireless group."
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. (NYSE: AWE) operates one of the largest digital
wireless networks in North America. With more than 12.5 million total
subscribers, AT&T Wireless is committed to being the premier provider of
high-quality wireless communications services, whether mobile or fixed, voice or
data, to businesses or consumers, in the United States and internationally.
American Tower is the leading independent owner operator and developer of
broadcast and wireless communications sites in North America. Giving effect to
pending transactions, American Tower operates approximately 10,000 sites in the
United States, Mexico and Canada, including approximately 300 broadcast tower
sites. Of the 10,000 sites, approximately 8,700 are owned or leased towers and
approximately 1,300 are managed and lease/sublease sites. Based in Boston,
American Tower has regional hub offices in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston,
San Francisco and Mexico City. For more information about American Tower
Corporation and ATC Teleports, please visit our web sites www.americantower.com
and www.atcteleports.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning future
expectations, plans or strategies that involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. American Tower Corporation, "the Company", wishes to caution
readers that certain factors may have affected the Company's actual results and
could cause results for subsequent periods to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the Company.
Such factors include, but are not limited to (i) substantial capital
requirements and leverage principally as a consequence of its ongoing
acquisitions and construction activities, (ii) dependence on demand for wireless
communications, use of satellites for Internet data transmission, and
implementation of digital television, (iii) the success of the Company's tower
construction program and (iv) the successful operational integration of the
Company's business acquisitions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update
forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or
circumstances.
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American TowerCorporation 116 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(617) 375-7500 FAX (617) 375-7575 www.americantower.com