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Completes $144 million network investment and provides local support for victims of hurricanes Katrina/Rita/Dennis NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 10 /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, $144 million investment in its network in the Louisiana market which included additional coverage and capacity via 87 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. "We will remain committed to our customers in Louisiana by meeting and exceeding 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 Gerald Denicola, Director of Sales for Cingular's East Louisiana market. "I am pleased with the progress we made last year and look forward to taking it a step further for 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 87 cell sites across Louisiana. The cell site expansion effort has been successfully completed, enabling the company to add new service or enhance existing service throughout the region. Highlights include: City of Baton Rouge & Surrounding parishes (added 8 cell sites in 2005) - Enhanced coverage along Samuel's Road, Mount Pleasant Road, Hwy 3113, Plains & US Hwy 61 in Zachary, LA. - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 16, State Hwy 447, Joe May Road & Hammack Road and along LA Hwy 16, Hwy 1019, Fore Road, Springfield Road & R. Dawes Road and along LA Hwy 16, LA Hwy 22, Vicknair Road & Harry Simoneaux Road in Livingston Parish. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 61, LA Hwy 421, Hamilton Willis Road & Fire Tower Road in West Feliciana Parish. - Enhanced coverage & capacity in the community of Coleman, LA & along LA 10 in St. Helena Parish and along Hwy 44, Hwy 22, I-10 & the Mississippi River. City of New Orleans & surrounding parishes (added 8 cell sites in 2005): - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 38, Hwy 438, LA Hwy 1055 & LA Hwy 450 in Washington Parrish. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 16, Hwy 437, Hwy 60, L Green Road & Huckleberry Lane coverage, and along Hwy 21, LA Hwy 438, LA Hwy 1071, Old Columbia Road & Elm Street in Washington Parrish. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 24 in Lafourche Parish. - Enhanced coverage along LA Hwy 20, LA Hwy 18 & Junior High Lane in St. James Parish. - Enhanced coverage and capacity in areas west of Covington, LA at the intersection of US 190 & LA 1077 in St. Tammany Parish. City of Monroe & surrounding parishes (added 17 cell sites in 2005): - Enhanced coverage in Baskin, Hwy 15 & Hwy 577; in Northern Winnsboro and Hwy 15; and along I-20 & Hwy 15 West of Rayville. - Enhanced coverage along I-20, LA Hwy 601 & 602 & US Hwy 80. - Enhanced coverage in Clarks & Southern Grayson along SR 485, Hwy 547 & SR 844. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 854, Hwy 80 & 17. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 16, Hwy 437, Hwy 60, L Green Road & Huckleberry Lane. - Enhanced coverage in Eastern Rayville and Tendal along I-20 & US Hwy 80. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 65 & LA Hwy 603. - Enhanced coverage along I-20 between Brushy Bayou & Hunters Heights. - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 112 & Hwy 113 and State Hwy 3206, Main Road, Elizabeth, Long Leaf Road & State Hwy 1156. - Enhanced coverage in Northern Rayville particularly along SR 137. City of Alexandria & surrounding parishes (added 15 sites in 2005): - Enhanced coverage between Jonesboro & Dodson along Hwy 167. - Enhanced coverage in City of Lecompte, US Hwy 71 & I-49. - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 112, Hwy 448 & Durand Road - Enhanced coverage in and around the city of Alexandria and along heavily traveled corridors: North Alexandria - US Hwy 165 connecting Alexandria & Monroe, US Hwy 167 from Jonesboro to Winnfield. - Enhanced coverage in the area of Fort Polk North, H Avenue, 15th, 16th, K Avenue, Infantry Road & G Avenue and in the areas of Fort Polk South, LA Avenue, Hwy 467, Hwy 10, Forestry Road, Alabama Ave, Mississippi Ave, Oklahoma Ave & Service Command Road. - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 112, Sandy Lane, Lookout Tower Rd. & Jeris Wells Road. - Enhanced coverage in Southwestern Boyce, including State Hwy 121 & Hwy 1200. - Enhanced coverage along Magnolia Drive, Nick Strange Road, Cecilia Road & State Hwy 12. - Enhanced coverage in Southern Lecompte, including State Hwy 71, Hwy 167 & I-49 and along LA Hwy 26, LA Hwy 8, Hwy 121, LA Hwy 469 & Chaffe Road. City of Lake Charles & surrounding parishes (added 5 new sites in 2005): - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 26 between DeRidder & Oberlin, LA. - Enhanced coverage along Hwy 190 West, Paul McMillan Road, Pine Hill St., April Road & Don Plush Road and along Hwy 395, Pine Island Hwy, Peggy Lane, Edmond Drive & State Hwy 102. - Enhanced coverage along State Hwy 82 David Sturlese Road & North Island Road and along Hwy 27, LA Hwy 110, Graham Road, Mayers Road and Mike Scott Road. City of Lafayette & surrounding parishes (added 8 new sites in 2005): - Improved coverage along US Hwy 13, Premier Road & part of Kaplan. - Improved coverage along LA Hwy 96, Catahoula Park Road, Bayou Mercier Road & Saint Rita Hwy. - Improved coverage along LA Hwy 347, LA Hwy 31, Castille Subdivision, Bridge Street Hwy & Kim Drive. - Improved coverage along US Hwy 90, LA Hwy 29, Maple Ave., LA Hwy 91, Hwy 13, Hwy 3 & the city of Eunice. - Improved coverage along US Hwy 167, LA Hwy 103, Prairie Ronde Hwy, Deville Road & Dupre Road. - Improved coverage along Hwy 90, Hwy 70, Hwy 182 & Morgan City. Community Service/Philanthropy The company partnered with a non-profit organization called Invest Inc. to donate 10 bullet proof vests to law enforcement officers in and around New Orleans. The vests were divided among the Slidell Police Department, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, New Orleans Police Dept and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office as many officers lost their vests during the hurricanes and had no means of purchasing new ones. Ten additional vests were donated to agencies in and around Gulfport and Biloxi. 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. - 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 Joe Ribando, Director of Sales for Cingular's West Louisiana market. "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/katrina_lifeline http://www.cingular.com/newsroom

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