SouthernLINC Wireless Renews Contract With Georgia Technology Authority For Push To Talk Services Through 2017

Atlanta, GA /PRNewswire/ - SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced today that their contract with the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) for Push To Talk services has been renewed through 2017.

"We are pleased to renew our agreement with GTA through 2017. We are proud to have continuously served both State and local government in Georgia since April of 1998. Over that time, SouthernLINC has become the only truly statewide inter-operable and highly reliable Push To Talk radio service covering over 86% of the state of Georgia," stated Rodney Johnson, SouthernLINC Wireless vice president of sales and marketing.

SouthernLINC Wireless is the exclusive provider of multi-state iDEN Push To Talk (PTT) and cellular services in the Southeast. iDEN Push To Talk technology is the original wireless 2-way radio technology that other carriers and applications attempt to duplicate.

"In addition to providing what we believe is the best PTT service available, our network delivers a level of reliability and survivability that GTA agencies, first responders, and local government rely on daily for inter- and intra-agency communications," continued Johnson.

The SouthernLINC Wireless network is constructed with built-in redundancies, power back-ups, and security features designed to deliver consistent communications especially during severe weather conditions. Cell sites are constructed to withstand winds up to 120 mph along the Gulf coast as well as heavy rain and ice loads in the northern part of the SouthernLINC footprint. SouthernLINC's reliability has been proven during and after major weather events including hurricanes Erin, Opal, Ivan, Katrina, the 2011 Tuscaloosa tornadoes, and 2014 Winter Storms Leon and Pax.

Georgia Technology Authority offers a wide range of services to state and local governments via statewide purchase contracts. SouthernLINC Wireless is one of the contracts available for the purchase of Push To Talk 2-way radio service for any state agency, city, county or other political subdivision of the state of Georgia that follows GTA's procurement rules.

About SouthernLINC Wireless

SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier with highly survivable network coverage in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. Georgia Power and Southern Company's other electric utilities rely on Push To Talk two-way radio (PTT), cellular service, wireless data, and text and picture messaging from SouthernLINC Wireless.  For more information, please call 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visit www.southernlinc.com.

Twitter: @southernlinc

Facebook: facebook.com/SouthernLINCWireless

About Southern Company

With 4.4 million customers and nearly 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable 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 energy innovation, excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer and listed by DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks. The company received the 2012 Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development, was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.