AT&T; to Offer New Translation Service
American Telephone & Telegraph today will unveil a new nationwide telephone translation service designed to help institutions communicate with callers who do not speak English.
The new service will be offered to businesses, public utilities, institutions and providers of emergency services, according to an AT&T; statement. Subscribers would be provided quick access by phone to someone who can translate a call received from a speaker of a foreign language. AT&T; is expected to announce that Spanish and some Asian languages--Japanese and Chinese, for example--will be among those translated.
The telecommunications giant is expected to release further details at press conferences today in San Francisco and New York City. Officially, AT&T; would not name the organization providing the translation operations nor disclose how subscribers would be charged or which languages would be translated. Sources at the company said AT&T; has established a new division to operate the service.
The new service is not related to a translation service established about two years ago for Spanish-speaking residential AT&T; customers.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
