Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Cingular Network Remained Operational during Northeast Power Outage

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 17:12:46 -0400

Cingular Network Remained Operational during Northeast Power Outage

The Cingular wireless network remained operational during the Northeast power
outage, limiting the impact on Cingular customers such as FedEx. Cingular’s
Mobitex customers also had network access during the outage, with data traffic
increasing 25 percent immediately following the outage
==============================================================================

Cingular Data Customers Stay Connected
During Northeast Power Outage; Wireless Data
Network Helps Keep FedEx Ground Running
Smoothly During Crisis
Thursday August 21, 11:31 am ET

ATLANTA, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The lights went out; the trains stopped running
and traffic snarled, but Cingular's wireless data network kept working, staying
true to its reputation as the most reliable, robust and rugged wireless data
network in the U.S.
Business customers like FedEx Ground, who use one of Cingular's data networks to
support mission critical applications, experienced minimal impact during the power
outage. Cingular provides the Wireless Wide Area Network backbone and  messaging
platform that supports FedEx Ground's package pick up and delivery tracking
system. All of the  10,000 FedEx Ground mobile field  units running on Cingular's
network operated normally during the power  failure. At a time of heightened
public concern about service availability in general, FedEx Ground wireless
communications continued without disruption, providing its customers with
continual updates and confirmation on package delivery status.

"All FedEx companies share the belief that the delivery information on a package
is as important as the package itself to our customers," said Roman Hlutkowsky,
vice president of Operations Technology and Systems Support for FedEx Ground. "We
rely on technology to deliver on our promise and Cingular's Mobitex data network
has once again proven to be highly reliable under extreme conditions, allowing us
to remove uncertainties about package delivery."

In addition to FedEx Ground, almost all of Cingular's Mobitex customers had
network access during the outage. Cingular data services including Interactive
Messaging and Xpress Mail email access were available to customers via their Rim
Blackberry(TM) wireless devices. Although some outages were reported in New York,
Ohio and Michigan, Cingular's network actually experienced an increase in
messaging data traffic of approximately 25 percent immediately following the
outage. This increase in traffic flow and delivery lasted for three hours.

"Cingular Interactive plays a key role in providing enterprise data communications
during times of emergencies and our employees work tirelessly to maintain the
network," said Charles Nelson, president Cingular Interactive. "Reliability is the
number one reason more than one million business wireless customers use Cingular
Interactive Wireless data services and why our Mobitex customer base continues to
grow."

ABOUT CINGULAR WIRELESS

Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC - News)
and BellSouth (NYSE: BLS - News), serves more than 23 million voice and data
customers across the United States. A leader in mobile voice and data
communications, Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover, the
wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Cingular has
launched the world's first commercial deployment of wireless services using
Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology. Cingular provides
cellular/PCS service in 43 of the top 50 markets nationwide, and provides
corporate e-mail and other advanced data services through its GPRS, EDGE and
Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are available at
www.cingular.com .

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030821/atth006_1.html

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/l.m7sD/LIdGAA/qnsNAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/