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ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless has mobilized its emergency operations team as an intensifying Hurricane Katrina barrels across the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Panhandle. Cingular conducts ongoing readiness drills throughout the year and has a rigorous emergency preparedness and response process in place for events like Katrina. Network preparations include the staging of 200 portable generators, more than 30,000 gallons of fuel, dozens of portable cell sites, and several hundred network technicians and engineers in the Panhandle, along the Gulf Coast and in Central Florida, to ensure customers and emergency agencies have reliable wireless service before, during and after the storm. "After last year's devastating hurricane season, we know all too well how critical communication is in an emergency situation, " said Dan Norman, vice president and general manager for Cingular's North Florida market. "For many people, their wireless phone was their only line of communication during and after the hurricanes." To prevent network congestion, Cingular is urging customers to keep non- emergency calls to a minimum to free up wireless networks for emergency officials and to consider text messaging as an alternate form of communication. Most wireless phones today are text messaging capable, and text messages oftentimes go through quicker than wireless voice calls during an emergency situation. If customers receive a fast busy or "your call cannot be completed at this time" recording when trying to make a voice call, they should wait 10 seconds before redialing. This allows the original call data to clear the network before the customer tries again. Cingular also offers consumers these important tips in preparation for the storm: * Program all emergency contact numbers into your wireless phone. Store numbers for the police department, fire station, hospital, as well as your family members so you don't have to think about it during and after an emergency. * Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain all family members know who to contact if they become separated. * Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternate plan to recharge your battery in case of power outages. * Keep your wireless phone dry and protected. * Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. * Check live weather and news reports available on many wireless phones with services such as MobiTV and My Cast. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 51.6 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(SM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/ . Get Cingular Wireless press releases e-mailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/. DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Kelly Layne Starling, +1-561-301-1414, , or Dawn Benton, +1-404-202-6335, Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/

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