AT&T Street Charge Hits The Beach

NEW YORK, July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Solar mobile charging units arrive at some of the City's most popular beaches this week, providing New Yorkers additional opportunities to recharge their devices as part of the AT&T Street Charge initiative. Coney Island, Rockaway, Brighton and Manhattan Beaches are among eight new locations citywide to receive solar mobile charging units.

AT&T began rolling out the solar-powered units two weeks ago and will place them in 20 different locations across the five boroughs through September. The pilot program is now available at the following locations:

• Coney Island
• Rockaway Beach
• Brighton Beach
• Manhattan Beach
• Hudson River Park
• Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
• Orchard Beach
• Piers 1 and 5 at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Union Square Park
• Governor's Island

"The feedback we've been getting on AT&T Street Charge has been overwhelmingly positive and we're excited to bring these solar mobile charging units to even more locations," said Marissa Shorenstein, New York State President, AT&T. "This initiative is a direct outgrowth of Hurricane Sandy and many of the areas where AT&T will be rolling out this week were impacted dramatically by the storm."

"We've learned from Hurricane Sandy the importance of being able to stay in communication," said Kevin Jeffrey, NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner. "In the aftermath of the storm, AT&T was one of the companies who provided power to keep mobile devices charged. With the availability of solar-powered charging technology at our beaches this summer, New Yorkers will be able to soak up the sun which will also help power their devices."

"Bravo to AT&T, to the NYC Parks Department, led by Commissioner and proud daughter of Bay Ridge, Veronica White, and NYC Digital, led by Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot, for expanding the 'service' provided by these mobile charging units," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "Brooklyn's beaches have always been fantastic places for New Yorkers to cool off and 'recharge'—and now, thanks to the AT&T Street Charge initiative, their cell phones will get the same treatment! The solar mobile charging unit project extension to some of the city's most popular summer destinations, including Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach, will keep these classic spots just as 'plugged in' as they've always been."

"As one of America's greatest tourist destinations, it only makes sense for these sun-powered charging stations to be set up in Coney Island," said New York City Council Member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. "The next time you want to Instagram the view from the Wonder Wheel, battery life is not going to be an issue."

"The launch of AT&T Street Charge in Coney Island is a testament to the revitalization that has occurred here and throughout all Brooklyn beaches following the devastation that was caused by Superstorm Sandy," said State Senator Diane Savino. "Today's announcement is a great way to further exhibit that our beaches are open and ready for visitors who will not have to worry about their phones dying while enjoying all our beaches have to offer, thanks to AT&T. I am excited to be a part of today's announcement and look forward to charging my phone on one of AT&T's solar powered mobile charging stations!"

"The addition of solar-powered mobile charging stations to Coney Island and other beaches and parks across New York will come as a great convenience to people looking to juice up their phones this summer," said Carlo A. Scissura, President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. "I can't think of a better way to charge up your phone than with the help of the sun - especially since you're already at the beach - so that we can continue to rely on green forms of energy. We need to get out the message that solar energy is both convenient and good for business. These charging stations are a great example of this.  I would like to thank AT&T and their dynamic New York President Marissa Shorenstein for promoting solar technology and ensuring that all New Yorkers continue to have public options when it comes to charging their electronic devices." 

The units will stay at each location between three and four weeks. Throughout the summer and early fall, New Yorkers will be able to find AT&T Street Charge at additional locations throughout the city including La Tourette Golf Course, the Staten Island Zoo, Clearview Golf Course, the Dumbo Arts Festival and the Brooklyn Book Festival, among other sites.

The solar powered mobile charging stations complement Wi-Fi in the Parks, an ongoing joint initiative between AT&T, the City of New York and the New York Parks Department offering free Wi-Fi access to New Yorkers - regardless of provider.  As of today, 28 New York City parks locations across the five boroughs now have free AT&T Wi-Fi as part of this initiative.

Developing sustainable solutions has long been a priority for AT&T. The company works with a variety of partners to engineer innovative answers to help address environmental and social challenges and this year CR Magazine named AT&T the top corporate citizen in America.

For a full list of dates and locations of each AT&T Street Charge unit, visit www.att.com/attstreetcharge or follow us on Twitter @ATTNYC #attstreetcharge

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. 

SOURCE AT&T Inc.