SouthernLINC Wireless - Press Release

SouthernLINC Wireless Names
Business and Government Sales Director

ATLANTA – May 18, 2009 – SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), today announced the promotion of Michael S. Smith, of Wetumpka, Ala., to director of business and government sales.

This new appointment expands the scope of Smith’s leadership with SouthernLINC Wireless. As director of business and government sales, he manages the direct sales, public sector sales and integrated solutions sales teams, as well as the technical service organization. Smith is responsible for retaining and growing commercial and government sales across the company’s 128,000 square mile Regional Calling Area, which is composed of major metro and rural localities in Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida.

“Michael has shown a keen ability to develop valuable relationships with our SouthernLINC Wireless customers,” said Rodney Johnson, vice president of sales and distribution for SouthernLINC Wireless. ”I am confident that his vast experience and success with the public sector sales channel will bring further advancement to our business sales segment.”  

Prior to accepting this position, Smith served as general manager of the carrier’s public sector sales organization. “Working for SouthernLINC Wireless for so many years has been incredibly gratifying,” said Smith. “I am looking forward to developing more closely aligned teams within the company, while growing sales and providing outstanding service to our customers.”

Smith attended Troy University in Troy, Ala., and has a sales and management background in the wireless and trucking industries. He also served as a police officer early in his career. This laid the groundwork for his success in public sector sales.

Smith will maintain his office at the SouthernLINC Wireless government sales location at 5415 Atlanta Highway in Montgomery, Ala.

SouthernLINC Wireless serves a customer base of approximately 215,000, representing all types of business, government and consumer users.

About SouthernLINC Wireless
SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier with network coverage in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless bundles multiple communication options, including Push To Talk two-way radio, cellular service, text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data, into one hand-held device. For more information, please call 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visit www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company
With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, 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 below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for nine consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.