Exhibit 31.1
                                                             CERTIFICATION
                                                             -------------

I, Edward E. Whitacre Jr., certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of SBC Communications Inc.;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
    necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with
    respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
    material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods
    presented in this report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
    procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:
a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
    supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
    known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
    about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on
    such evaluation; and
d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
    registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
    materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
    financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons
    performing the equivalent functions):
a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
    are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
    information; and
b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
    internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 10, 2004

/s/ Edward E. Whitacre Jr.
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Edward E. Whitacre Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Note:  Section 4(b) has been deleted pursuant to the transitional rule set forth in the Commission's Release Nos. 33-8238; 34-47986;
IC-26068, dated June 5, 2003.