Five cash prizes up for grabs; one lucky winner takes home $2,000

ATLANTA, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), today announced the launch of the Beautiful South Photo Contest, an online, amateur photography competition which gives consumers a chance to win thousands of dollars in cash and an opportunity to have their photo featured as a wallpaper download for SouthernLINC Wireless phones. One grand prize winner will take home $2,000, one first place winner will receive $500 and three honorable mentions will win $100 each.

Through Aug. 31, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi residents who are 18 years of age and older can enter the SouthernLINC Wireless Beautiful South Photo Contest by uploading a maximum of five original, scenic photos – from a camera, cell phone or other device – to www.southernlinc.com/beautifulsouth.

The Beautiful South Photo Contest is part of a campaign to promote the company's new Unlimited Picture Messaging service, which launched June 28. For $8 per line per month, Unlimited Picture Messaging gives SouthernLINC Wireless customers the ability to exchange multimedia files with wireless users on most other networks using their phones.

"As a company with its roots firmly planted in the beautiful South, SouthernLINC Wireless is eager to see how our customers and neighbors bring the landscapes of the region to life in their photographs," said Julie Pigott, vice president of marketing and customer support for SouthernLINC Wireless. "We hope the Beautiful South Photo Contest will also inspire our customers to take advantage of our new Unlimited Picture Messaging service to share important moments with friends and family."

Beautiful South Photo Contest submissions will be judged on Southern theme, beauty of the South and overall appeal. Ten finalists will be selected from all eligible entries. Then, from Sept. 13 until Oct. 13, the public is invited to vote daily for their favorite finalist at www.southernlinc.com/beautifulsouth. Contest winners will be announced by Nov. 12, 2010.

Photo submissions should be in JPEG format, must not exceed 8 megabytes in size and may not contain people. For more information about the SouthernLINC Wireless Beautiful South Photo Contest, including full submission requirements, uploading information and official rules, please visit www.southernlinc.com/beautifulsouth. To learn more about Unlimited Picture Messaging, go to www.southernlinc.com.

About SouthernLINC Wireless

SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier with network coverage in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless bundles multiple communication options, including Push To Talk two-way radio, cellular service, text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data, into one hand-held device. For more information, please call 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visit www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. 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 below the national average. Southern Company is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE SouthernLINC Wireless