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WESTWOOD, Mass., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular Wireless customers now have significantly more wireless coverage in Massachusetts. As a result of the merger of Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless, customers are now served by more than 1000 cell sites in the state. Cingular announced today that the company has completed the combination of the two networks, integrating 487 former AT&T Wireless cell sites into the Cingular network. "With the addition of new cell sites and the completion of the integration of the two networks, the wireless experience for our customers in Massachusetts has improved dramatically, equal to what other wireless carriers complete over several years," said Steve Krom, vice president and general manager for Cingular Wireless in New England. "In fact, we have increased the number of cell sites for Cingular customers in the state by nearly 80 percent since before the merger." While coverage improvements resulting from the combination of Cingular's network with the former AT&T Wireless network will be apparent to Cingular customers all over the state, some areas will notice a more significant difference in service: In eastern Massachusetts, Cingular customers will notice increased coverage in the south shore communities of Scituate and Marshfield as well along Route 3 in the Norwell area. On the north shore, beachgoers in Gloucester and Rockport now benefit from enhanced cell service, as do Cingular customers west of Boston in the towns of Sherborn, Natick, Wrentham and Franklin. In addition, Boston area commuters and tourists now have additional cell coverage along Routes 93 and the Mass Pike as well as on Routes 9 and 30 in Framingham. Cingular has also turned on new cell sites in North Attleboro, Pembroke and Stoneham. On the Cape, one of the largest areas of improvement will be along Routes 6 and 6A. The communities of Barnstable, Dennis and Brewster will see the most overall benefit from the combination of the two networks. In addition to these enhancements Cingular has recently turned on a new cell site on Martha's Vineyard in West Tisbury. In western Massachusetts, the towns of Greenfield, Pittsfield, Hadley, Lee, Lenox and Richmond will see the largest coverage increase. Cingular customers will also notice a difference along Route 91 and within the communities between Amherst and Springfield, as well as east of Springfield and along the Mass Pike near Warren. The company has also turned on a new cell site in Dalton, bringing better service along Routes 8, 8A and 9 as well as the areas between Hinsdale, Lanesborough and Pittsfield. Ten additional new sites are already under construction in Otis, Hampden, Wales, Holland, Sunderland, Ludlow, Springfield and East Longmeadow. These new sites are scheduled to go online later this year. Cingular has turned on a total of 70 new cell sites this year in New England with additional sites planned to go online before the close of the fourth quarter. By the end of 2006, Cingular's two-year network investment in the region will surpass half a billion dollars. Nationally, Cingular plans on investing more than $6 billion to expand and enhance its network this year. When combined with the company's 2005 network spending, the two-year total will approach $13 billion nation wide. About Cingular Wireless in New England Cingular's network in New England covers more than 13.6 million people and extends across 62,000 square miles. Cingular employs more than 700 people in the region. With 84 company-owned stores in addition to authorized local and national retailers, including RadioShack, New England customers have approximately 800 outlets to buy Cingular's products and services. About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 57.3 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T 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 emailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/. DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Kate MacKinnon of Cingular Wireless, +1-781-690-5057, or wireless, +1-508-498-5547, or Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://cingular.mediaroom.com/

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