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With the Cingular and Former AT&T Wireless Networks Fully Combined, Customers Now Have Access to Nearly 65 Percent More Cell Sites ORLANDO, Fla., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless customers in Lakeland and Winter Haven now have more bars in more places thanks to the integration of the Cingular Wireless and former AT&T Wireless networks. With both networks now fully combined into one in the Lakeland and Winter Haven areas, Cingular customers have access to 65 percent more cell sites, which translates into fewer dropped calls, improved call quality, new coverage where none existed before, and better in-building, in-car and pedestrian coverage for customers. "This is the single largest increase in coverage that our customers in Lakeland and Winter Haven have ever experienced," said Dan Norman, VP/GM for Cingular's North Florida market, which covers southwest Florida across the state north to Panama City and just over the Georgia line. "Almost overnight our network was transformed, giving our customers access to more cell sites." When Cingular and AT&T Wireless merged in October 2004, customers received a better experience immediately because they had access to more cell sites in more places through "home-on-home" roaming. Now, with the completion of the network integration in Lakeland and Winter Haven, the two networks can "talk" to each other, establishing the call through the closest cell site and passing the call seamlessly from site to site. Customers not only have access to more cell sites, but also have all the cell sites in the Lakeland and Winter Haven areas working together for them. Planning and preparation for the network integration, which involved choosing the best cell sites from both networks, eliminating duplicate equipment, and combining technologies onto a common network, started a year ago. The actual integration of the two networks took less than two months. The integration is part of a $370 million investment by the nation's largest wireless carrier in its Florida network in 2006. The investment also includes the addition of portable and permanent generators, and the deployment of a third generation (3G) high-speed broadband wireless network this summer that will allow customers to access information and applications at broadband speeds between 400-700 kilobits per second. Since 2005, Cingular has invested more than $435 million in its North Florida network alone, and approximately $13 billion nationwide. By the end of the first quarter of 2006, Cingular will have completed the AT&T Wireless network integration in more than 80 percent of its Southeast cities. Cingular also will launch its 3G wireless network technology in more than 20 Southeast cities this year. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 54.1 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(TM) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. 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 Starling of Cingular Wireless, +1-561-301-1414, or Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/

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