BellSouth Rings in New Year by Launching Long Distance in Final Two States - Florida and Tennessee.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 30, 2002

Consumers throughout BellSouth's nine-state territory enjoy

calling plans to fit their business or lifestyle, including low

international rates to 220 countries

BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) today launched long distance service in Florida and Tennessee, making BellSouth the first of the regional operating companies to offer long distance to its entire service area.

BellSouth's easy-to-understand calling plans, with competitive domestic and international rates, as well as broad data networking capabilities, offer residential and business customers more choices and greater value in long distance calling.

"Consumers asked for the convenience of one bill and one point of contact for all of their communications services - from local and long distance to Internet service - and we're doing just that," said Rex Adams, president, BellSouth Long Distance Services. "Residential and business customers have been receptive to the customized plans and competitive rates BellSouth offers. As of October 31, we were providing long distance to 659,000 customers in the seven states where we've already been selling long distance."

"The fact is consumers want local and long distance bundles from their local telephone provider. BellSouth's ability to now offer regional long distance services will enhance its ability to effectively serve its customers," said Aurica Yen, senior analyst at The Yankee Group. "In addition, BellSouth's focus on competitively priced international plans will provide choice and variety for consumers making calling plan purchases."

Competitive domestic and international rates

Today, consumers and businesses can select BellSouth's convenient long distance calling plans to best fit their lifestyle or business needs. Customers may choose domestic plans, which include:

-- Choice of package minutes at a set monthly price OR low, flat rates per minute with a monthly recurring charge.

-- Discounts for high volume usage for business customers.

-- A competitively priced calling card at $.35 per minute, without a monthly recurring fee on direct-dialed domestic calls.

In addition to its many domestic plans, BellSouth features international calling plans that deliver low, discounted rates - among the best in the industry - to customers who make calls to locations outside of the United States. The international plans offer country-specific rates that are constant, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to more than 220 countries. Residential and small business customers in Tennessee and Florida can take advantage of a 10 percent discount on all international calls through March 2003. Business customers can benefit from the competitive rates and select an even further reduced rate to one of the countries they call the most, based on their calling plan.

Other benefits that both residential and business customers can enjoy with BellSouth international calling plans include:

-- Extremely competitive rates and easy-to-understand calling

plans.

-- Monthly fees on certain plans are waived for high-volume

international calling for residential and business customers.

-- Discounted rates for BellSouth(R) Complete Choice(R) and

BellSouth Area Plus(R) customers.

-- Residential customers who sign up for the International

Savings 20 plan or International Savings 40 plan can enjoy

Wal-Mart Shopping Cards, valued at $10 and $20 respectively.

The cards will be sent once a quarter throughout 2003 to the

customer's home, so long as the customer remains on the plan.

-- Business discounts based on both domestic and international

usage.

"Our long distance service makes it easy to stay connected to family, friends and business associates, whether they are at home or abroad," said Adams. "BellSouth's international calling plans offer extremely competitive rates and easy-to-understand choices. It's truly 'long distance made simple' with calling plans designed to meet the needs of our customers."

Savings for consumers

As a long-time provider of multiple services on one bill, BellSouth recently launched BellSouth(R) Answers, a multi-product strategy that combines on one bill the popular BellSouth(R) Complete Choice local calling plan with BellSouth Long Distance, data and wireless services. The new packages offer consumers combined savings of up to 10 percent, depending on services selected, such as Internet, wireless - and now long distance across all nine states - when purchased with BellSouth's Complete Choice plan.

Convenience and service for businesses

Business customers with locations across BellSouth's nine Southeastern states and outside the territory are offered the convenience of consolidating all of their long distance business with one provider - BellSouth Long Distance. BellSouth offers multiple calling options at competitive rates and comprehensive data capabilities. Whether the business operates out of a home office or requires complex voice and data networks, BellSouth delivers the quality and service levels imperative to making customers successful in business. A dedicated BellSouth Long Distance customer resource center handles provisioning, service assurance and customer care for large business customers.

"As a testament to the strong demand for reliable long distance services and support for businesses, we have signed up 25 percent of all mass market small business customers who count on BellSouth for local phone service in Georgia and Louisiana, the first two states where we began offering service," said Adams. "For BellSouth's enterprise business customers, including major retail and financial establishments headquartered in the Southeast, we have reached our 1,000th long distance customer milestone, which says we're providing them with the level of support and service they need."

To order BellSouth Long Distance, visit http://www.bellsouthcorp.com/longdistance/. Spanish-speaking customer service representatives are available at 1-888-494-8087. For more news and information visit http://www.bellsouthcorp.com/longdistancenews/.

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, serving more than 44 million customers in the United States and 14 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data solutions to large, medium and small businesses. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also offers long distance service throughout its entire territory, serving both business and consumer customers. The company's BellSouth Answers(SM) package combines local and long distance service with an array of calling features; wireless data, voice and e-mail services; and high-speed DSL or dial-up Internet service. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services through BellSouth(R) Real Pages(SM).com and The Real Yellow Pages(R).

BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative data and voice services.

BellSouth(R) Complete Choice(R), BellSouth Area Plus(R) and BellSouth Solutions(R) are registered trademarks of BellSouth Corporation.

Long distance service is provided by BellSouth Long Distance, Inc., and is available in BellSouth service areas. Cellular services provided by Cingular(R) Wireless LLC.