BellSouth Signs $10 Million Education Contract Enabling Digital Learning in Grades K - 12.

Business Editors/News Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2002

Voice Over IP Data Solution Increases Student Access

to Innovative Educational Applications and Decreases

Operational Costs

BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) today announced it implemented a $10 million data solution in the Volusia County, Florida, school district that enhances student access to the Internet, distance learning applications and multi-media educational opportunities.

In addition to helping teachers employ innovative learning tools, BellSouth's voice, video and data integration solution consolidates three disparate networks, streamlining communications among teachers and staff throughout the school system.

Schools are constantly faced with providing educational resources to both students and teachers. Many of the educational resources available today are Internet dependent. Applications delivering high-resolution graphics, CD quality sound, and full motion video require high-speed Internet access. Providing the increased bandwidth and security necessary to consistently provide rich Internet content to the classroom was critical to Volusia County Schools.

"Every superintendent faces educational and operational challenges," said William Hall, Superintendent of Volusia County Schools. "BellSouth's integrated solution allows us to deliver cutting-edge digital learning applications to students' desktops, increase our teachers' effectiveness in the classroom and bring technology directly to students in a cost-effective manner. This gives Volusia County Schools the ability to offer a better education for our students without increasing expenditures."

BellSouth's Voice Over IP (VoIP) solution combined the school district's separate voice and data networks to create a single network that supports voice, video and data, and allows for future growth. The VoIP technology addresses four key challenges Volusia County and other school districts around the country face:

-- Enhanced Learning - Provides students and teachers greater access to the Internet and the myriad of e-learning applications available on the Internet

-- Security - Enables schools to have a telephone in every classroom area, giving teachers immediate access to emergency resources

-- Increased Efficiency - Allows every teacher to receive voice mail, broadcast messages on the classroom phone's voicemail system, as well as in-the-classroom videoconferencing

-- Decreased Cost - Reduces operational and maintenance costs associated with managing multiple networks

"BellSouth takes our partnership with the education community seriously," said Joan Kratz, vice president of marketing for BellSouth Business. "Our assignment is threefold - enhance the quality of education by increasing access to information, provide increased security to the classroom and enable parental and community participation in the education process of our children and grandchildren."

The School District of Volusia County consists of 74 facilities. BellSouth's designed and fully managed network spans 1,200 square miles and serves more than 62,000 students and over 8,000 teachers and staff.

More information about BellSouth's VoIP solutions can be found at www.bellsouth.com/datasolutions.com.

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 offers long distance service for both business and consumer customers in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company's BellSouth(R) Answers 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.