ATLANTA, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), announced today that it has launched nationwide Push To Talk (PTT) two-way radio and data services.

"I am proud to say that after many years of hard work and effort, SouthernLINC Wireless has reached an agreement with a major U.S. carrier to provide nationwide Push To Talk and data services to our customers," said Bob Dawson, president and CEO of SouthernLINC Wireless. "This is a major milestone in the history of SouthernLINC Wireless."

Although SouthernLINC Wireless has had an agreement in place for cellular roaming since August 2001 and began offering the service in 2002, the carrier has continued to push the FCC to establish fair roaming guidelines for all aspects of wireless communications.

With the rapidly changing and ever-expanding market for data services, along with the increasing role such services play in facilitating communication, access to wireless data services has become more critical than ever.  

In addition to coverage in Alabama, Georgia, northwest Florida and southeast Mississippi, SouthernLINC Wireless customers can now stay in touch using PTT, data, cellular, and text and picture messaging services even when they – or subscribers they regularly communicate with – travel outside the SouthernLINC Wireless Regional Service Area.

In combination with the introduction of nationwide PTT and data services, SouthernLINC Wireless also rolled out six new service plans that provide access to these services throughout the SouthernLINC Wireless Nationwide Service Area.

"Beginning today," continued Dawson, "SouthernLINC Wireless customers can talk, text, PTT and surf the Internet in more than 540 cities across the U.S. with our new So Easy nationwide service plans."

All six So Easy plans feature unlimited nationwide private PTT, unlimited regional group PTT, unlimited incoming text messages, long distance, voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, call hold and three-way calling.

Most So Easy plans also include unlimited night and weekend nationwide cellular minutes and either unlimited or shared nationwide cellular minutes. So Easy Share plans let users share nationwide cellular minutes with other So Easy plans on their account. Monthly access fees range from $23 to $79 per line, depending on the services selected and number of lines activated.

Visit www.southernlinc.com/service-plans/so-easy for detailed plan information. Full terms of the So Easy plans, including permissible usage allowance information for unlimited services, can be found at www.southernlinc.com/promodetails.  

So Easy plans featuring nationwide services are now available at all SouthernLINC Wireless sales and service locations, through authorized SouthernLINC Wireless dealers, from SouthernLINC Wireless direct sales associates and through the online store.

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 combines multiple communication options, including Push To Talk two-way radio (PTT), cellular service, wireless Internet access, wireless data, and text and picture messaging, into one hand-held device. In addition to regional network coverage, the company offers nationwide access through roaming agreements for cellular, PTT, data, and text and picture messaging services in more than 540 cities throughout the U.S. 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