AT&T Wireless and Cingular Wireless Strike Accord Designed To Lower Costs, Improve Quality And Encourage Expansion Of GSM/GPRS Coverage Nationwide.

Business Editors

ATLANTA & REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2003

Roaming Agreement Will Promote Expansion of GSM Coverage Across U.S.

AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE) and Cingular Wireless today announced a major joint roaming agreement that will improve quality and encourage further expansion of GSM /GPRS coverage in the United States for customers of both companies.

The companies also said the agreement will allow them to lower costs.

With this agreement, customers of Cingular and AT&T Wireless will continue to have access to the companies' combined GSM/GPRS footprint in the U.S. and enjoy advanced data services via the world's most popular and widely-adopted wireless technology -- GSM/GPRS.

"The real winners in this deal are the customers of Cingular and AT&T Wireless. Their coverage will expand, their phones and all the features will work the same -- whether the customers are in Cingular or AT&T Wireless territory," said Stan Sigman, President and CEO of Cingular Wireless. "Furthermore, it helps both companies provide seamless service even as they continue to expand their GSM footprints. And at roaming rates significantly lower than previous agreements."

"Our world-standard, next generation technology allows us to expand coverage to hundreds of countries around the world," said John Zeglis, Chairman and CEO of AT&T Wireless. "It also enables us to easily and cost effectively expand our U.S. coverage through attractive agreements such as today's announcement with Cingular.

"This is great news for customers on the go who are increasingly interested in staying connected to the people and information they need most -- no matter where they are," said Zeglis.

This agreement augments each company's aggressive GSM/GPRS build-out efforts. AT&T Wireless continues to expand its extensive GSM/GPRS network and said it plans to have covered POPs totaling about 206 million by mid-year and 214 million by year-end. Cingular said that more than 90 percent of its POPs -- and all of its major markets -- will have GSM service by the end of the year. In addition, on March 13, the two companies completed the formation of a joint venture that will further extend next generation network coverage by cost effectively building out GSM/GPRS service on more than 4,000 miles of rural highways throughout the U.S.

This agreement offers very attractive roaming rates to both carriers. AT&T Wireless and Cingular have also agreed that they will build out their networks to support common features such as Short Messaging Service (SMS).

The agreement is retroactive to February 1, 2003 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2006.

ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS

Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE:BLS), serves more than 22 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, the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. 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 and Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are available at www.cingular.com.

ABOUT AT&T WIRELESS

AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE) is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 20.859 million subscribers at December 31, 2002, and full-year 2002 revenues exceeding $15.6 billion, AT&T Wireless will continue delivering advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications services, voice or data, to businesses and consumers, in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, please visit us at www.attwireless.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements'' which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by management with information that is currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, management's expectations regarding: our future financial and operating performance and financial condition, including the company's outlook for the fiscal year 2003 and subsequent periods; subscriber growth; industry conditions; the strength of our balance sheet; our liquidity and needs for additional financing; and our ability to generate operating free cash flow.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside AT&T Wireless' control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Without limitation these factors include: the risks associated with the implementation of our technology migration strategy, our ability to continue to reduce costs, the potential competitive impacts of industry consolidation or alternative technologies, potential impacts on revenue and ARPU from competitive pricing and slowing penetration in the wireless industry, the effects of vigorous competition in the markets in which we operate, the risk of decreased consumer spending due to softening economic conditions, the outbreak of war or acts of terrorism, and consumer response to new service offerings.

For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see AT&T Wireless' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under the heading "Additional Factors That May Affect Our Business, Future Operating Results and Financial Condition" and "Forward Looking Statements" in its quarterly report of Form 10-Q filed on November 13, 2002.