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ATLANTA, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BellSouth (NYSE:BLS) announced today that approximately 1.75 million BellSouth customers live in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina. Of this number, the company estimated that 750,000 customer lines are in the most heavily damaged areas in the path of the storm. The company reported that 180 of its central office locations are currently running on generator due to a loss of commercial power in affected areas. "This is not a normal hurricane restoration situation," said Bill Smith, Chief Technology Officer. "For example, the water level in New Orleans is still rising and working conditions are extremely difficult. As the water recedes in Mississippi and Alabama, our normal restoration efforts are progressing." BellSouth is still assessing the full impact on the network and our customers' operations, and as a result, it is too early to project the total magnitude of destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The company is focused on restoring operational facilities and services to customers, as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees. BellSouth is currently engaged in simultaneous monitoring and recovery efforts. As employees gain access to the most severely impacted areas, they are performing rigorous and methodical damage surveys. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, BellSouth employees will cover hundreds of square miles over several states to complete the surveys. In addition, BellSouth is coordinating with wireless providers to improve communications in the hardest- hit areas. Given the scope of the damage, the entire restoration effort in the hardest hit areas will take more time than BellSouth would normally expect. BellSouth has about 13,000 employees in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who have been affected by the storm. To aid its employees, BellSouth will set up several "tent cities" in severely affected areas. These cities will provide BellSouth employees and their families with necessities such as food, shelter and clothing, in addition to cash loans and employee assistance programs. About BellSouth Corporation BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth has joint control and 40 percent ownership of Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless voice and data provider with 51.6 million customers. Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers(R), residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial-up and high-speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory advertising through BellSouth(R) RealPages.com(R) and The Real Yellow Pages(R). BellSouth believes that diversity and fostering an inclusive environment are critical in maintaining a competitive advantage in today's global marketplace. More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com/. DATASOURCE: BellSouth Corporation CONTACT: Media, Joe Chandler of BellSouth Corporation, +1-404-829-8700, or Web site: http://www.bellsouth.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/095650.html

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