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Cingular Wireless to Provide Wireless Priority Service to Improve Emergency Communications in South Florida South Florida to benefit from new service BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The state of Florida is now among the states in the nation to benefit from a program that will provide improved communications to emergency response personnel and community leaders. Cingular Wireless has been awarded a contract by the National Communications System (NCS) to provide Wireless Priority Service (WPS) to the country's authorized emergency response personnel. As part of that contract, Cingular has launched WPS throughout Florida, as well as other select regions of the United States. The initial phase of WPS deployment is complete for 2004. WPS is available throughout Cingular's footprint in the state of Florida. Total network deployment is scheduled for the summer of 2005. WPS provides authorized Federal, State, and local government leaders and critical private sector leaders and decision makers with priority wireless service during times of emergency. In concert with the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), WPS dramatically improves cellular call completion rates. In times of congestion, authorized users are moved to the front of the queue, greatly increasing their chances of call completion. At the same time, WPS is designed to have a negligible impact on everyday cellular users, providing priority service to vital decision makers without restricting the public's ability to gain access to those same networks. WPS does not enable users to preempt existing calls or to monopolize cellular services. "WPS is an extremely important tool to provide to key national security and emergency preparedness personnel during disaster and emergency situations," said Rich Guidotti, Vice President and General Manager for Cingular's operations in South Florida. "Cingular recognizes how vitally important WPS is to those who must direct well-coordinated emergency responses. Cingular's commitment is to improve homeland security through our deployment of WPS." Computer Sciences Corporation, the NCS's integration contractor for the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service and the Wireless Priority Service, was responsible for the acquisition of Cingular as a participating WPS provider. The National Communications System, part of the Department of Homeland Security's Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, consists of 23 Federal member departments and agencies and is responsible for ensuring the availability of a viable national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications infrastructure. In addition to enhancing the South Florida network with WPS, Cingular has also enhanced the local network with the addition of 20 new cell sites this year, improving wireless service for residents and travelers throughout the region. These enhancements are part of a one-year, $30 million network investment in South Florida further improving call quality, creating additional capacity and extending the network's reach. Cingular spent more than $100 million last year implementing an advanced GSM/GPRS network and improving coverage and capacity throughout South Florida. Since 2002, Cingular has spent nearly $400 million - $3.2 million a week -- in Florida deploying and enhancing a next- generation network and providing advanced new services in Florida. Additional information regarding the NCS WPS program can be obtained on the NCS website at http://wps.ncs.gov/ . ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving more than 46 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation 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 (office), or +1-404-202-6335 (wireless), or Web site: http://www.cingular.com/ http://www.cingular.com/newsroom http://wps.ncs.gov/

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