ATLANTA – August 11, 2010 –Southern Telecom®, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), recently extended the reach of its Atlanta local dark fiber network. 

“Expanding our network helps us better serve existing customers and provide new customers with additional fiber coverage,” said Leif Ericson, business development manager for Southern Telecom. “Atlanta has consistently been recognized as one of America’s Most Wired Cities by Forbes magazine. We’re certainly pleased with the new opportunities we’ll have to further increase connectivity for businesses in the Atlanta area.” 

Southern Telecom already manages a 30-mile dark fiber ring encompassing the downtown central business district and Midtown Atlanta. This fiber optic ring serves Peachtree Street and other key access points and commercial arteries, as well as laterals into numerous buildings in downtown Atlanta. Southern Telecom has gained access to an additional 60-mile dark fiber ring in the metropolitan Atlanta area, extending its network into suburban growth areas such as the Cumberland Mall and Perimeter Mall business districts. Companies in these areas now have additional options for fast, cost-efficient fiber optic solutions. 

Southern Telecom anticipates further growing its dark fiber network throughout the Southeast to better serve the increasing bandwidth needs of the region.  

About Southern Telecom

Southern Telecom is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company that provides long-haul and metropolitan dark fiber connecting Atlanta with other smaller cities throughout the Southeast. The company also provides network elements such as rights of way, dark fiber, conduit, co-location and other related maintenance services. Southern Telecom is certified in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and also at the federal level. For more information about Southern Telecom, please call (404) 506-5120 or visit www.southern-telecom.com.   

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) 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 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

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