Southern LINC Introduces Affordable, Multi-Functional Motorola i265 Phone; New Lightweight Handset Offers a Vivid Color Screen and Java Applications

Business Wire, Dec 1, 2004

ATLANTA -- Southern LINC(R), the wireless communications service from Southern Company (NYSE: SO), today announced the availability of the Motorola i265 phone. The i265 is a lightweight, multi-functional, feature-packed handset for cost-conscious consumers.

"The i265 has a sporty, attractive design plus an incredible range of features, including pre-installed Java(TM) applications," said Bob Dawson, president and CEO of Southern LINC. "It's ideal for customers who want some of the best wireless offerings without spending a lot of money."

The new i265 offers all of the features associated with Motorola's iDEN(R) technology including Instant LINC(SM) two-way radio, phone service, text messaging and data access. The i265 handset also offers a color screen with animated icons, VibraCall(R) alert, voice dialing, voice recorder and a speakerphone with "high audio" for improved call clarity. Additionally, this new handset comes with a host of ring tones and wallpapers.

The Motorola i265 phone measures 1.94 x 4.79 x 1.04 inches and weighs 4.54 ounces with the included high performance battery and is available through Southern LINC for $99.00.

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 two-way radio, phone service, numeric and text paging, wireless Internet and wireless data access and Java(TM) 2 Micro Edition (J2ME(TM)) applications. More information about Southern LINC can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the Southern LINC Web site at www.SouthernLINC.com.

About Southern Company

With 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 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 electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named three consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation's top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index four years in a row, and in the latest survey tied for the highest score among all service industry companies. 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 www.southerncompany.com.