Cingular Wireless Enhances Coverage for Beachgoers on Carolinas Coast

20 June 2006

r> CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 19 - As vacationers head to the beaches of the Grand Strand to enjoy the summer, the nation's largest wireless carrier is meeting the need for enhanced coverage by continuing to grow its coastal network. Cingular Wireless today said it recently added 14 new cell sites in the coastal area, ensuring Carolinas vacationers stay connected while having fun in the sun. These 14 new sites are some of the more than 340 new Cingular cell sites planned for the Carolinas before the end of the year. The company has already added more than 150 new cell sites across the Carolinas in the last six months, enhancing wireless service for those who live, work and play in the region.

The new sites bring enhanced or additional coverage in and around the following areas:

- Along Hwy 174 on Edisto Island

- Residential areas along US 421 and St Andrews Road in Wilmington, N.C.

- Along Hwy 162 east of the town of Hollywood, S.C.

- Along Hwy 544 in residential districts and businesses south of Conway,

S.C.

- Along Hwy 501 in commercial districts of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

- Along US 701 in Georgetown, S.C.

- Along Hwy 130 North of Shallotte, N.C.

- Along Hwys 17 and 211 in Supply, N.C.

The new sites also bring new coverage to these areas:

- Along US Hwy 70 and in the towns of Smyrna, Marshallberg and Harkers

Island

- Along US Hwy 17 south of Washington to the town of Vanceboro, including

the town of Chocowinity

- Residential areas west of New River Air Force Base in Jacksonville,

N.C.

- Along US Hwy 64 east of Williamston to the Outer Banks, providing new

coverage to the towns of Jamesville, Plymouth, Roper, Creswell and

Columbia

- Along US Hwy 264 east of Washington to the BTA boundary, providing new

coverage to the towns of Bath, Pantego, Belhaven, Swan Quarter,

Engelhard and Lake Mattamuskeet

- Main resort and residential area of Edisto Island, S.C.

"We want to provide the best cellular service possible for not only the year-round residents of our coastal areas, but also for the many Cingular customers from across the country who come to vacation on our beautiful beaches," said Alison Hall, vice president and general manager for Cingular's North and South Carolina market. "These new coastal cell sites, as well as the new sites we continue to build throughout the year, will help us provide that coverage to those living, working, and vacationing in the Carolinas."

Cingular Wireless plans to spend more than $385 million on its Carolinas network before year-end, increasing coverage and capacity, building 342 new cell sites, adding portable generators and back-up batteries, and offering enhanced new features. Significantly, Cingular recently launched its third- generation (3G) wireless network technology in 16 major cities, with more to follow across the country, including the Carolinas. With 3G, customers will access information and applications at broadband speeds in the office, on the road or at home. The service-via laptop data cards or 3G-compatible phones this year-provides average mobile data connections between 400-700Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink and bursts to more than a megabit per second. Cingular's local investment is part of a more than $6 billion commitment to enhance and expand its ALLOVER(SM) Network nationwide this year.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 55.8 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/.

Source: prnewswire