Our AT&T Ohio team joined other Ohio tech companies and state legislators at the 6th
annual OhioX GovTech Summit 2026. This event brought together elected officials,
government technology leaders, and tech professionals from across the state to share,
discuss, and learn the latest in Ohio government technology and innovation.

It was fitting that the summit took place in March 2026, and that AT&T was a proud
sponsor and participant in numerous panels and discussions. That’s because March 2026 marked the 150th anniversary of the very first telephone call.

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first successful telephone
call at his attic laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts. Bell’s startup, Bell Telephone Company, was created a year later, and eventually became American Telephone & Telegraph – or, as you know it today, AT&T.

Since then, calling has evolved into sending texts, videos and enormous amounts of data over networks. That first call led to many more first calls, countless technological developments and collaborations with government and private industry – always pushing the boundaries of new ways to connect.

For 150 years, AT&T has known that innovation does not happen in a vacuum – and
that is why events like OhioX’s GovTech Summit are so important.

I was honored to give welcoming remarks at the event and emphasize how valuable
these gatherings are for businesses across the state. We are able to hear updates and
share resources, while at the same time introducing Ohio’s leaders to the tech-focused companies, organizations and individuals innovating and building the state’s next
generation workforce.

From AT&T’s perspective, this collaborative approach certainly makes a difference,
especially as we continue investing in our Ohio infrastructure.

As a connectivity provider, AT&T’s purpose is to build and maintain the networks that
connect people, businesses and institutions.

From 2020 to 2024, we invested nearly $2.8 billion in our Ohio network infrastructure.
We have nearly 2.6 million fiber miles in Ohio, making AT&T Fiber® available to more
than 875,000 customer locations in more than 140 communities.

We recently announced a national $250 billion investment over the next five years,
through 2030. This means continued investment across fiber, 5G, network modernization, security, and resilience. Specifically, we’ll be accelerating deployment of
5G home internet and mobile network, and our fiber network and invest in innovation
and our workforce.

As we move forward in the 21st century, we are excited by the opportunities in Ohio to
continue modernizing our network, so we can provide the fastest and most reliable
services to residents, businesses, government and the tech innovators of today and
tomorrow.

AT&T’s work everyday centers around expanding our network to reach more people in
communities across Ohio. This connectivity is powering economic growth, supporting
job creation and enabling technological innovation.

The OhioX GovTech Summit was a great opportunity to engage with other Ohio stakeholders and companies who share our commitment to making Ohio a technology
leader.

We’re grateful to OhioX for hosting and to all the innovative businesses and elected
officials who attended. We look forward to working with you to keep Ohio connected.