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SouthernLINC Wireless Completely Operational After Hurricane Katrina

Posted on: Friday, 9 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced today that as of September 1, 98 percent of its sites were up and operational, and as of September 8, all existing sites are on air with two additional sites operating, providing much needed wireless communication service in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi for emergency, utility and government personnel continuing relief and rescue efforts, as well as individuals trying to connect with loved ones.

"The fact that SouthernLINC Wireless had nearly all of its sites up and running, just days after one of the most powerful hurricanes hit the region, while most other telecommunications services were still reported as nonfunctional, is a powerful testament to the strength of our infrastructure," said Bob Dawson, president and CEO of SouthernLINC Wireless. "SouthernLINC Wireless' infrastructure was designed specifically to withstand stressful weather conditions in the Southeast, including hurricanes."

Along with SouthernLINC's superior infrastructure, the company has employees who live in the communities affected that were waiting to address any system issues immediately and were able to work closely with critical customers to find solutions to meet their communications needs quickly. In addition, employees were able to use a unique product offering, personal toll free numbers, to allow critical customers to bypass a problem caused by the local phone network in the 228 calling area.

When an issue was identified with calls placed to the 228 area code due to a problem with the local phone network, SouthernLINC Wireless was able to provision its Mississippi Power and public safety customers with toll free numbers. By doing so, their SouthernLINC phones were able to receive phone calls from non-SouthernLINC Wireless customers. InstantLINC and mobile-to-mobile calls were not affected by the local phone network problems, and emergency officials were able to focus on saving lives by staying connected and Mississippi Power could focus on restoring electrical service in the area.

"Prior to Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast and then moving through Alabama, SouthernLINC Wireless prepared for the worst by ensuring that generators at our sites were topped off with fuel, and additional generators were available to be mobilized to sites that were operating on batteries due to power outages," said Dawson. "We also had employees on hand to begin restoration efforts as soon as the storm moved through. They were able to access many of the affected sites immediately after the storm passed to assess and repair damage quickly."

About SouthernLINC Wireless

SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier covering the major metro and rural areas in Alabama, Georgia, southeastern Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless bundles multiple communication options into one phone including InstantLINC(SM) Mobile to Mobile, cellular service, text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data. More information about SouthernLINC Wireless can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the SouthernLINC Wireless Web site at www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company

With more than 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named three consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation's top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index five years in a row. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

Source: Business Wire

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