ATLANTA, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern LINC®, the wireless communications service from Southern Company, is offering the i90c and i80s handsets from Motorola, two sleek new designs that let customers select their own applications.

Southern LINC will commercially introduce the Motorola i90c and the i80s in second quarter 2002. Customers can choose from two new designs -- either a thin, sculpted style or a compact flip phone. Each handset offers sophisticated features, including the ability to upgrade the handsets with applications to meet the customers' changing needs. These phones can become a mobile office, a game station, a calculator and more.

The i90c and the i80s handsets contain a Java(TM) 2, Micro Edition (J2ME(TM)) platform for running a variety of wireless data applications. These could include order-tracking applications, metric unit conversions, location- based services and mobile office applications. Customers can download new software features and J2ME applications directly to their handsets by visiting Southern LINC's iDEN Update Web site, in the Customer Care section of www.southernlinc.com .

The i90c and i80s offer a hands-free speakerphone for impromptu conference calls, voice-activated dialing, and a voice recorder. Both handsets fully incorporate standard Southern LINC features such as Instant LINC(SM) two-way radio, paging and wireless Internet access. The two-way radio function allows users to communicate instantly with one or hundreds of individuals at the push of a button. Other features include a phonebook capable of storing up to 250 entries, a datebook, and customized style settings, which enable the phone to adapt to different user environments, such as the office, car and home.

    Motorola i90c:
    The i90c flip-style handset looks and feels high-tech. It includes the
following features:
    *  Midnight blue color
    *  Blue back-light display and keypad
    *  Exterior display, so customers can view the Caller ID, date and time
       without opening the handset
    *  Smart button lets users perform multiple tasks with a single key press
       without opening the handset
    *  Ten changeable MIDI tones allow customers to personalize the phone's
       ring style
    *  Several pre-installed applications include a calculator, note pad and
       the Sega(R) game Borkov
    *  Measures 3.5 x 1.9 x 1.1 inches (90 x 50 x 28 mm) and weighs four
       ounces (114 grams)

    Motorola i80s:
    The i80s is a sleek, ultra-thin handset. It includes the following
features:
    *  Stylish silver color
    *  Pre-installed mathematical calculator
    *  Stores last 20 phone numbers sent/received
    *  Measures 5.4 x 1.9 x 1 inches (138 x 49 x 25 mm) and weighs
       4.3 ounces (123 g)

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®, 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, and wireless data services. 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 .

Southern Company (NYSE: SO - news) is a super-regional energy company with more than 32,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Southeast. It is one of the largest producers of electricity in the United States. Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric, Southern Nuclear, Southern Company Energy Solutions, Southern LINC and Southern Telecom. Southern Company also owns a growing competitive generation business in the Southeast. With more than 500,000 shareholders, Southern Company common stock is one of the most widely held stocks in the United States.

Southern LINC and Instant LINC are salesmarks or registered trademarks of Southern LINC. Motorola and iDEN are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc. Java and J2ME are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All Rights Reserved.