AT and T customers can now stay on the beaten path not only in the U.S. but when abroad, as well. AT and T has announced the availability of AT and T Navigator Global Edition, the only GPS-based service available from a U.S. wireless carrier to provide international navigation capabilities.

AT and T Navigator Global Edition can be used in 20 countries on AT and T-powered smartphones featuring built-in GPS capabilities. AT and T Navigator Global Edition's coverage area includes most countries in western Europe, North America and the U.S. Caribbean as well as the six cities in China that will host Beijing Summer Olympics events.

The new international navigation service is available in conjunction with the domestic AT and T Navigator solution on the AT and T Tilt, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8110, BlackJack II and MOTO Q 9h global smartphones.

"The introduction of AT and T Navigator Global Edition is just another example of how AT and T is the nation's leading provider of international wireless services," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Mobility Marketing and Operations for AT and T's wireless operation.

"AT and T not only gives customers the ability to use their mobile phones in more countries than any other U.S. carrier, they now can use our robust GPS-based navigation offering whether at home or abroad to easily get from point A to point B or to find and get directed to a local business or service."

AT and T Navigator Global Edition provides customers with many of the same features as AT and T's popular domestic GPS-based navigation service, AT and T Navigator. Customers can get spoken or text-based turn-by-turn directions + in English, German, Italian or Spanish + and are rerouted automatically if they miss a turn.

AT and T Navigator Global Edition also features a local "business finder" service, which allows customers to find the locations of businesses by category or by specific name with the click of a button using AT and T Navigator's GPS-based navigation capabilities.

AT and T Navigator's business finder database contains more than 19 million businesses and services located in the U.S. and abroad, including ATMs, hotels, restaurants, gas stations and airports. This feature also allows users to quickly look up and call the phone number for a business, saving time and money.

IBM was among the companies that participated in a customer trial program for AT and T Navigator Global Edition before its launch.

Maria Azua, IBM's vice president of Technology and Innovation, said: "AT and T Navigator Global Edition saves me an enormous amount of time. When traveling in unfamiliar territory, AT and T Navigator has guided me very efficiently to the right location in the shortest possible time. The 'live updates' feature gets me rerouted via an alternative path to avoid traffic jams. Since it is integrated with my smartphone, I always have it with me; it's an important business companion for the road warrior."

AT and T Navigator Global Edition will be particularly useful to customers traveling to China in August for the Summer Olympics. AT and T customers will be able to use AT and T Navigator Global Edition in the six cities hosting Olympics events + Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao.

AT and T also is providing AT and T Navigator Global Edition service to select athletes and their families and to the eight grand-prize winners in AT and T's "How Are You Connected" to Team USA sweepstakes.

AT and T is an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team and provides significant financial support as well as products and services to the U.S. Olympic Committee. AT and T is also the official telecommunications services partner of the U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing, and the company is an official partner of several national governing bodies, including USA Track and Field, USA Gymnastics, USA Swimming and USA Diving.

AT and T is the leading provider of international wireless services. AT and T has the largest international wireless footprint of any U.S. carrier, providing customers with the ability to make or take wireless calls in more than 200 countries and access e-mail, the Web and other data applications in more than 145 countries, with access to mobile broadband 3G networks in more than 60 countries.