Southern LINC Announces Healthcare Network; Healthcare Organizations Will Benefit From Reliable Instant Wireless Communication.

Business Editors/Technology & Medical Writers

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 2002

Southern LINC(R), the wireless communications service from Southern Company (NYSE:SO), today announced the Healthcare Network designed to connect hospitals, suppliers, doctors, clinics and emergency medical service providers via Instant LINC(SM) two-way radio and other wireless services.

Southern LINC's Healthcare Network provides reliable, instant communication between contacts working in the healthcare industry whose jobs often depend on receiving critical information fast. Using Instant LINC two-way radio, customers can have one-to-one and one-to-many conversations at the push of a button. In addition, Southern LINC also provides wireless phone service, paging, wireless data and wireless Internet access from a single hand-held device, eliminating the need to carry a cell phone, pager and two-way radio.

Many healthcare facilities across the Southeast already benefit from reliable wireless service from Southern LINC. According to Motorola, Southern LINC operates the most reliable iDEN network in the world. Southern LINC's wireless service also helps keep patient information private. No known scanner can intercept transmissions over Southern LINC's network, so patient information remains confidential.

"We coordinate emergency medical services across a six-county region with a population of 1.2 million," says Joe Acker, executive director for the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System. "We depend on Southern LINC for critical instant communication between trauma centers, ambulances, EMTs and even 911 operators. Southern LINC provides the reliability we need, even in severe weather."

Special pricing plans apply and more information about the Healthcare Network can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC or visiting the Southern LINC Web site at http://www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern LINC:

Southern LINC, which stands for Long-range Integrated Network Communications, covers 127,000 square miles in the Southeast, including major metro and rural areas in Alabama, Georgia, southeastern Mississippi and northwest Florida. Using Motorola's iDEN(R) technology, Southern LINC combines multiple communication services into one handset or installed device including Instant LINC(SM) two-way radio, phone service, numeric and text paging, wireless data access and wireless Internet access. More information about Southern LINC can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the Southern LINC Web site at http://www.southernlinc.com.

With nearly four million customers and more than 34,000 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 five electric utilities, a fast-growing competitive generation company and an energy services business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service and high reliability. Southern Company has been named No. 1 on Fortune magazine's 2002 "Most Admired Company" list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. 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 http://www.southerncompany.com.