SouthernLINC - Press Releases

SouthernLINC Wireless Partners With The Assisted Living Association of Alabama to Develop Emergency Communications Plan

Company to provide communications services to help improve disaster response
in assisted living communities

ATLANTA – May 9, 2007 – SouthernLINC Wireless®, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced today that it will provide voice and data services to the Assisted Living Association of Alabama (ALAA).  The partnership with ALAA is made possible in part through a private grant from the Hurricane Fund for the Elderly, and ensures that funds are available for a statewide emergency communications network at senior living communities.  ALAA is Alabama’s largest assisted living association whose facilities are home to nearly 11,000 senior citizens.

“Assisted living facilities along Alabama’s Gulf Coast are the primary focus of the program, but dangerous weather events in other parts of the state convinced grant makers that a statewide emergency notification system is critical,” said Frank Holden, president, ALAA.

With SouthernLINC Wireless, administrators will be able to communicate with first responders and Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) officials at the push of a button using SouthernLINC Wireless’ Push to Talk service. Push to Talk from SouthernLINC Wireless provides instant and private communication over a digital network.

“SouthernLINC Wireless understands that when disasters strike, being able to communicate with emergency workers and loved ones is a top priority,” said Bob Dawson, president and CEO of SouthernLINC Wireless.  “That’s what makes our Push to Talk service so valuable – it enables instant and reliable communication – which is a core component of ALAA’s emergency communications plan.”  

When completed, the communications system will allow assisted living facilities to file evacuation and other disaster plans with the Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Emergency Management Agency before any emergency.  Training and installation of the system will begin in late May and should be complete before hurricane season begins.

About SouthernLINC Wireless
SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier covering the major metro and rural areas in Alabama, Georgia, southeastern Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless bundles multiple communication options into one phone including push to talk, cellular service, text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data. More information about SouthernLINC Wireless can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the SouthernLINC Wireless Web site at www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company
With 4.3 million customers and more than 41,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. 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 significantly below the national average. Southern Company has received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among U.S. electric service providers for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.