ATLANTA, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rural Cellular Association (RCA) recently honored Bob Dawson, president and CEO of SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), with the 2011 RCA Outstanding Achievement Award.

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The RCA Outstanding Achievement Award celebrates the efforts of an individual in the cellular telecommunications business that made extraordinary contributions to the industry and the RCA during the previous year.

RCA President and CEO Steven K. Berry presented Dawson with the award during the opening general session of RCA's 19th Annual Convention and Innovation Expo, which was held in Las Vegas.

"I am absolutely delighted that RCA recognized Bob Dawson, who has given so much of his time, muscle and spirit to RCA and this industry," said Berry. "Bob has consistently been one of our most valuable players, and I cannot think of a more worthy or deserving individual."

The association, which represents wireless competitive carriers throughout the U.S., recognizes outstanding members with its Annual Achievement Awards. Honorees were selected from member nominations, and awards in five categories were presented this year.

"RCA has taken on the challenge of uniting smaller wireless carriers that take care of rural America, so they have a larger voice in the industry," said Dawson. "I am humbled and flattered to be recognized with this Outstanding Achievement Award. The honor was completely unexpected."

Dawson currently serves on RCA's board of directors, a position he has held since 2007. He also has chaired the trade group's Nominating Committee for Carrier Members for three years.

Leading SouthernLINC Wireless since its commercial launch in 1996, Dawson has been a part of Southern Company for more than 45 years. He also concurrently serves as president and CEO of Southern Telecom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SouthernLINC Wireless. Southern Telecom provides long-haul and metropolitan dark fiber that connects Atlanta with smaller cities throughout the Southeast.

Past RCA Outstanding Achievement Award recipients include Darrell Slocum of Golden State Cellular, Johnie Johnson of Nex-Tech Wireless, Patrick Riordan of Cellcom and Thomas Walsh of Illinois Valley Cellular.

For more about the 2011 RCA Annual Achievement Awards, please visit http://bit.ly/RCAawards2011.

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 (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 that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and 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.

About Rural Cellular Association (RCA)

RCA is the nation's leading association for competitive wireless providers serving rural and regional areas of the United States. The licensed service area of RCA's nearly 100 members covers more than 80 percent of the nation. For more information, visit www.rca-usa.org.

SOURCE SouthernLINC Wireless