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Commitment increases El Paso cell sites by 45 percent in one year; part of $470 million plan in Texas EL PASO, Texas, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless provider, has activated 15 new cell sites in the El Paso area this month. The company is committed to turning up an additional six sites by the end of the year as part of a major initiative to expand its wireless network in the area. The new cell sites represent an unprecedented 45 percent increase in just one year. The new Cingular cell sites are part of a comprehensive plan to improve coverage and capacity in the El Paso area. The El Paso expansion is part of a $470 million program by Cingular Wireless to upgrade the company's network throughout Texas during 2005. "When we first entered this market a year ago, we recognized that there was an opportunity for major improvements to provide our customers a quality wireless experience," said Mary Bustillos, Cingular's regional sales manager in El Paso. "We put together a plan at that time that we would make a significant investment in this area for our customers. Today we are able to report a major step to deliver on that plan." New cell sites now operational are located at: - Westwind Dr. and Redd Rd. - I-10 locations at Clint, Fabens, Anthony (Katy St.) and Exit 55 - Railroad Dr. and Deer Ave. - Patriot Highway and Hayes Ave. - Horizon Blvd. and Darrington Rd. - War Highway and Pipeline Rd. - Mesa St. and Sun Bowl Dr. - Westwind Dr and River Run St. - US 62 and Joe Battle Blvd. - Highway 82 and North 17th St. - Las Cruces at I-25 and El Camino Real - Highway 62 and FM20 Cell sites under construction and scheduled for completion by the end of 2005 include: - Alabama and Pierce - Airport Rd. and Forest Rd. - Alameda and North Zaragosa Rd. - Las Cruces at I-10 and I-25 - Amador Ave. and Solano Dr. - Hercules and US 54 In addition to the new sites, Cingular has added new antennas to the 45 cell sites that existed prior to this year's construction program. The new antennas have dramatically improved customers' call experience by increasing call clarity and signal strength. "We are continuing our strategy to aggressively expand and enhance our operations so the El Paso area has the best possible wireless network," Bustillos said. "Our objective is to ensure the foundation we have established today only gets better." She said all the new cell sites are based on digital GSM technology, which is the world standard for wireless communication, used by more than a billion people in 200-plus countries. In fact, more than 70 percent of the world's total wireless market is GSM. The widespread use of GSM offers Cingular customers the ability to use a large variety of GSM "world phones" and devices in more than 125 countries to make calls and access data services in more than 70 countries. For customers interested in wireless data services, the company's EDGE network -- the fastest national high-speed data network in America -- provides average data connections of up to 135 kilobits per second in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along nearly 40,000 miles of highways. For more information about Cingular, please contact 1-866-CINGULAR or visit http://www.cingular.com/. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 52.3 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 (SM), 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://www.cingular.com/newsroom. DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Mary Bustillos, +1-915-845-8101, or , or Frank Merriman, +1-469-229-7613, or , both of Cingular Wireless Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://www.cingular.com/newsroom

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