ATLANTA - May 22, 2018 – Southern Telecom, Inc. (STI), a subsidiary of Southern Company, announces its team member volunteer participation today with the USO of Georgia at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to welcome and support military service members and their families as they transit the airport. STI’s team has volunteered annually with the USO of Georgia for over 15 years. To commemorate STI’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration, the company also presented a monetary donation to the nonprofit organization that provides a variety of services to military service members and their families.

The volunteer initiative is part of Southern Company’s Our Values commitment to offer its employees an opportunity to work with local community groups in the spirit of service and community-centric activities. Over the years the STI team has supported the USO to contribute volunteer service, as nearly half of the team members themselves are military veterans and understand the positive impact of the USO organization.

Southern Company has a strong commitment to supporting military veterans, who currently make up approximately 10% of the company’s 32,000 employees, a result of Southern Company’s active recruitment of military veterans. Southern Company as a whole leads the industry in military hiring and retention, and over the years has earned recognition as a top employer by several publications including highest ranking utility in GI Jobs Military Friendly Employers for 11 consecutive years.

Southern Telecom Business Development Manager and Air Force veteran, Barry Navarre, noted, “Every day here at STI we work hard to support customers with fiber optic business solutions. Yet, it means a lot to our team to be able to step back for a day and lend our volunteer support to the USO of Georgia as they provide a celebratory welcome and a variety of amenities to military service members and their families when they transit Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.”

STI’s General Manager Wayne Ellis, a retired Colonel in the US Army Reserves, presented the charitable donation to the USO of Georgia. “It is an honor to volunteer with the USO and be some of the first people to welcome these military service members,” said Ellis. “STI employees look forward each year to volunteering for the organization as a team. We are happy and honored to donate to this very worthy cause.”

About Southern Telecom

Southern Telecom, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company that provides long-haul and metropolitan dark fiber connecting Atlanta with other cities throughout the Southeast. The company also provides network elements such as access to rights of way, conduit, neutral co-location, and other related maintenance services. Southern Telecom is certificated as a telecommunications provider in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and at the Federal level. For more information about Southern Telecom, visit www.southern-telecom.com.

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is America’s premier energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America’s energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21^st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top energy companies in Fortune's annual World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.