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BellSouth Announces Fixed Wireless Broadband Trial in Palatka, Florida -- BellSouth Continues Testing Wireless Broadband to Extend Broadband Services Beyond Wireline DSL Footprint to More Rural and Remote Areas -- ATLANTA, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- BellSouth today announced expanded testing of fixed wireless broadband technology with a new trial in Palatka, Florida. The trial will examine providing high-speed broadband connections via a fixed wireless base station located in the rural trial area.BellSouth also recently completed the Port Orange portion of its Daytona Beach, Florida trial and is continuing testing in nearby Holly Hill. BellSouth announced the Daytona trial in January 2003. Wireless broadband is designed to serve as an alternative means of high- speed connectivity in areas where traditional wireline broadband services cannot be efficiently deployed. By exploring connectivity over fixed wireless networks, BellSouth could expand its broadband footprint to serve more businessesand consumers with high-speed Internet services. "BellSouth's testing of wireless broadband in Daytona proved positive and we're now testing new features and capabilities, such as the introduction of Wi-Fi components, in Palatka," said Mel Levine, director of Wireless Broadband for BellSouth. "While the results thus far have been encouraging, we want to better assess the financial viability of wireless broadband compared to wireline DSL and how the technology operates in different environments and topographies with respect to service availability and delivery. Before we can offer wireless broadband to customers, it's imperative that we have the best product possible that will deliver the quality of service expected by BellSouth customers." The Palatka, Florida trial is now operational and is testing how far wireless broadband antennas can extend broadband service beyond BellSouth's wireline DSL footprint as well as how wireless WANs can provide backhaul and connectivity for a Wi-Fi LAN. The trial will continue for up to six months and will include local businesses, residences and educational institutions, including St. Johns River Community College, as trial participants. Navini Networks hardware from the completed portion of BellSouth's Daytona wireless broadband trial was relocated to Palatka. BellSouth has been testing wireless broadband technology since 2000. The company's first-generation trial in Houma, Louisiana, studied the technical characteristics of fixed wireless broadbandtechnology. BellSouth is now applying results of this study in the current examination of wireless broadband technology for possible deployment as a customer solution across the nine Southeastern states it serves. About BellSouth Corporation BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth serves nearly 50 million local, long distance, Internet and wireless customers in the United States and 12 other countries. Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides complete communications solutions to the residential and business markets. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access and long distance, advanced voice features and otherservices. The company's BellSouth Answers(SM) package combines local and long distance service with an array of calling features; wireless data, voice and e-mail services; and high- speed DSL or dial-up Internet service and Cingular Wireless. In the business market, BellSouth serves small, medium and large businesses providing secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services through BellSouth(R) RealPages.com(SM) and The Real Yellow Pages(R). BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative wireless voice and data services. DATASOURCE: BellSouth Corporation CONTACT: Brent Fowler of BellSouth, +1-404-829-8722, or Web site: http://www.bellsouth.com/

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