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Cingular Wireless Answers the Call From Oak Ridge National Laboratory Cellular-On-Wheels provides strong signal for campus with a history of spotty wireless coverage KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Cingular Wireless announced the planned activation of a portable wireless facility or "COW" (Cellular-On-Wheels) on the campus of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to provide employees and visitors with improved coverage in an area with a history of spotty service. The site is Cingular's answer to ORNL's 'wireless SOS' and is a result of negotiations with the Department of Energy to place both temporary and permanent cell sites in the area. "ORNL has dealt with on-again, off-again coverage for years because of challenging topography in the area and the labs' distance from the seven cell sites currently serving the Oak Ridge area," said David Webb, RF Engineer - Cingular Wireless/East Tennessee. "We are in negotiations with the DOE for a permanent solution, but wanted to offer ORNL employees more immediate improvements. The COW allows us to do that." Cingular's COW is currently being installed and will be in service no later than June 30. When the COW is activated, employees and visitors to ORNL will notice an immediate improvement in their ability to make and receive clear, consistent wireless calls. "We know that our customers' number-one priority is being able to make a call when they want and where they want," said Dru Dempsey, director of sales for Cingular Wireless - East Tennessee. "This temporary network enhancement gives them the ability to do just that until a permanent solution is put in place." Cingular and the DOE are discussing plans for a permanent cell site that would be built next to the COW and would resolve the coverage issue at ORNL. The COW will remain in place until that site is built. "We know this site is important for improving business communications as well as emergency communications," added Webb. "When Cingular activates the COW, it will not only enhance the in-building, on-campus wireless experience, it will also improve overall coverage giving everyone more consistent access to E-911 services, police and family in the event of an emergency." Having just completed an aggressive upgrade to the extensive Tennessee/Kentucky network in 2003, Cingular is moving forward with plans to deliver world-class wireless service to customers throughout the region. With the addition of nearly 150 new cell sites in the Tennessee/Kentucky region in 2004, including 45 sites in East Tennessee, Cingular will bring even greater coverage and enhanced service to its regional customers. Last year, Cingular spent more than $51 million implementing its advanced voice and data GSM network and improving coverage and capacity throughout the region. GSM, or Global Systems for Mobile Communications, is the world standard for wireless communications. More than 921 million people in 200 countries use this technology which delivers a superior network, the widest selection of phones, and advanced data applications, such as faster downloads on games, instant messaging and picture messaging. Since 2000, Cingular has invested $200 million expanding and enhancing the Tennessee/Kentucky network. "We believe our customers chose Cingular because they have the highest expectation for their wireless service. It's our commitment to make sure we continue to deliver this," said Dempsey. "Now that our transition to an advanced voice and data network is complete, we are focusing our resources on increasing coverage, particularly in residential areas and in-building locations throughout the region." About Cingular Wireless Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE:BLS), serves more than 25 million voice and data customers across the United States. A leader in mobile voice and data communications, Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(SM), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Cingular has launched the world's first commercial deployment of wireless services using Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology. Cingular provides cellular/PCS service in 43 of the top 50 markets nationwide, and provides corporate e-mail and other advanced data services through its GPRS, EDGE and Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/ . DATASOURCE: Cingular Wireless CONTACT: Calie Shackleford of Cingular Wireless, +1-615-221-3690, or Web site: http://www.cingular.com/

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