BLS Bellsouth Cp

Completes $125 Million Network Investment and provides support after Hurricanes Katrina/Rita/Dennis BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's largest wireless carrier, Cingular Wireless, announced the completion of its 2005 network investment and reflects on a most memorable year. Cingular has completed its 2005, $125 million investment in its network in Alabama/Northwest Florida. The investment included additional wireless coverage and capacity via 77 new cell sites, portable generators and back-up batteries, and roll out of new data features. The local investment was part of Cingular's more than $1.5 billion Southeast network capital investment and estimated $6.2 billion national network capital expenditure program during 2005. "Cingular's commitment to our customers in Alabama/Northwest Florida is to meet -- and exceed -- their needs by continually upgrading and expanding our network and by offering innovative products, services, customer-friendly initiatives and community support second to none," said Ron Sleeper, Director of Sales for Cingular's North/Central/Southeast Alabama markets. "I am pleased with the progress made last year and look forward to taking it to the next level for our customers in 2006." Among other 2005 highlights for Cingular customers in the region were: Cell Sites Earlier this year, Cingular announced plans to add an estimated 77 cell sites across Alabama and Northwest Florida. The cell site expansion effort has been successfully completed, enabling the company to add new service or enhance existing service throughout the region. Some recent cell site additions include the following: Added 14 new cell sites across Jefferson, Shelby, Saint Clair Counties: - Enhanced coverage in North Birmingham around Old Springville Road and Deerfoot Parkway - Enhanced coverage along Carson Road in Tarrant; along New Castle Road - Enhanced Coverage along State Hwy 269 in Mulga and along Vestavia Parkway (Hwy 31) in Vestavia - Enhanced Coverage along Highland Avenue and 29th and 30th Street in the Clairemont area - Enhanced Coverage along Hwy 119 and County Hwy 29; along Hwy 280 near Eagle Point and Highland Lakes Drive - Enhanced Coverage along County Hwy 47 near Chelsea - Enhanced Coverage along Hwy 231 and County Highway 37; near intersection of Hwy 411 and Hwy 231 south of Ashville - Enhanced coverage in South Chelsea along Hwy 69; along Rocky Ridge Road in Vestavia; along Hwy 31, Lorna Road, and Data Drive Added 5 new cell sites across Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, Macon, Lee and Lowndes Counties: - Enhanced coverage West of Prattville at intersection of county Hwy 29 and county Hwy 40; north of Coosada along county Hwy 143 - Enhanced coverage along I85 in North Tuskeegee; along state Hwy 51 south of Opelika; and along Hwy 97 Southeast of Hayneville Added 8 new cell sites across Tuscaloosa, Pickens and Hale Counties: - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 20/59 around the JVC Plant near Cottondale - Enhanced coverage in communities of Howton, Abernant and downtown Aliceville - Enhanced Coverage along Hwy 216 east of Tuscaloosa; along Hwy 60 and the intersection of State Hwy 14; along state Hwy 69 and Indian Hill Road Added 7 new cell sites across Lauderdale, Franklin, and Lawrence Counties: - Enhanced coverage in the communities of Lexington and Anderson - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 101 between Lexington and US Hwy 72 - Enhanced coverage near the intersection of US Hwy 43 and Hwy 64 - Enhanced coverage along Cloverdale Road northeast of Florence - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 24 half way between Red Bay and Russellville; along State Hwy 24 between Russellville and Moulton; between Red Bay and Tuscumbia along State Hwy 247 and along State Hwy 247 near the intersection of State Highway 24 near Red Bay Added 8 new cell sites across Marion, Winston, and Lamar Counties: - Enhanced coverage north of Hamilton along Hwy 17 and one in Southwest Hamilton along state hwy 138 - Enhanced coverage in the community of Lynn along Hwy 278; along state Hwy 74 between Hwy 278 and Double Springs and along Hwy 278 northeast of Sulligent, between Sulligent and Guin - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 18 west of Vernon and along Hwy 18 between Vernon and Fayette Added 6 new cell sites in Walker County: - Enhanced coverage in Cordova and in Parrish. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 78 between Jasper and Dora; north of Jasper at intersection of state Hwy 195 and Curry Hwy and along Hwy 195 between Jasper and Double Springs Added 6 new sites in Houston County: - Enhanced coverage along Reeves St and W. Gray Hodges Rd; along State Hwy 210 and Webb Road; along US Hwy 84 and county Hwy 19 - Enhanced coverage at intersection of Beverley road and Forrester Road - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 52 at Newton Campbellton Road and along State Hwy 53 at Plum Road Added 4 new cell sites across Clarke, Conecuh, and Escambia Counties: - Enhanced along US hwy 84 between Evergreen and Frisco City and along Hwy 21 in the communities of Uriah and Repton - Additional coverage added in Frisco City and between Frisco City and Grove Hill along Hwy 84 Added 4 new cell sites across Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties (Florida): - Enhanced coverage near the intersection of Pine Forest Road and Highway 90 near Five Flags Speedway. - Enhanced coverage near the Pensacola Regional Airport along Summit Boulevard. - Enhanced coverage near the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 87 in Berrydale and in the town of Jay, near the intersection of Highway 89 and Highway 4. Recently, Cingular Wireless earned the Most Reliable network rating among wireless carriers in Decatur-Huntsville and Florence. This rating was based on drive test results from a leading wireless research company that provides information, insight and performance measurements for the wireless industry. Hurricane Support Hurricane Katrina -- and its cousins, Rita, Dennis, Wilma and others -- devastated the Gulf States this summer and fall and Cingular provided extensive support and assistance to various organizations helping victims of the hurricanes. Although more than 3,000 of Cingular's 5,000 employees in the Gulf States were personally affected by the storms, the team worked tirelessly, and, in many cases, heroically, to support the restoration efforts. The Cingular Employee Team: - Helped thousands of people reconnect with their loved ones, thanks to a rapid restoration of Cingular's network and switching facilities. Although the network was impacted and numerous stores in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were damaged during Katrina, most of our network and all but a handful of stores were operational within just a few weeks. - Cingular donated hundreds of thousands of minutes to hurricane victims through free calling centers, phone donations to the American Red Cross and evacuation shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. - More than 2,300 Cingular stores nationwide served as collection centers for the American Red Cross. - The company established the Cingular Cares Fund, with a goal of raising more than $5 million to be used to help victims of these and future natural disasters. - The company announced its participation in a temporary program established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to offer free phones and service offer to people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Visit http://www.cingular.com/katrina_lifeline for more info. "Our colleagues on the network team braved high waters and difficult conditions. They lived where they worked -- eating cold meals and sleeping on flood water-dampened floors -- all in order to restore our critical communications infrastructure," said Scott Mann, Director of Sales for Cingular's South Alabama/NW Florida/Mississippi Gulf Coast markets. "I've never been more proud of, or more impressed by, our Cingular employees, who showed devotion, dedication and commitment during horrific circumstances." About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 52.3 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications Inc., (NYSE:T) 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: Dawn Benton of Cingular Wireless, +1-404-236-5305, or wireless, +1-404-202-6335, or Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://www.cingular.com/newsroom http://www.cingular.com/katrina_lifeline

Copyright