ATLANTA - Feb. 4, 2008 - Southern Telecom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), today announced it has expanded its colocation customer base with the addition of The University of Alabama System. Southern Telecom provides wholesale dark fiber optic cable and colocation solutions to large enterprise and telecom carrier customers.

The University of Alabama System recently chose the Southern Telecom colocation facility in Birmingham, Alabama, to host some of their regional optical fiber network equipment. Southern Telecom’s highly secure colocation facility in Birmingham provides:
• Class-A structure with climate-controlled environment, two separate power feeds and backup generators
• Limited personnel access with 24/7 security, video surveillance and guards
• Redundant communications via multiple carriers
• Advanced fire protection systems

“Southern Telecom offered The University of Alabama System a key strategic location in the Birmingham area to connect the UA and UAB campuses as well as to other providers locally and in the Southeast,” said Sheila Sanders, Vice President for Information Technology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

As the premier colocation facility in Birmingham for communications providers, Southern Telecom offers a wide range of related services, including long-haul/metro dark fiber, conduit, maintenance and long-haul/metro optical cross connects. The company’s Birmingham facilities serve as a carrier hotel for major telecom vendors.

“Southern Telecom provides a highly secure facility for telecom carrier interconnections, enterprise data storage and disaster recovery,” said Leif Ericson, business development manager with Southern Telecom. “Whether a customer is looking for pre-designed sizing or a built-to-suit option, we provide our customers with the best solutions to meet their specific needs and to ensure their core network infrastructure is protected.”

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.

About Southern Company

With 4.3 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. 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 significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

About The University of Alabama System

Alabama’s largest higher education enterprise, The UA System is comprised of doctoral research universities located in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville. Total student enrollment exceeds 49,000, with 25,000 employees (including University Hospital, which is in Birmingham). Annual revenues are approximately $3 billion. The System is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees, and the chief executive officer of the System is Chancellor Malcolm Portera. The mission of the UA System is to improve the quality of life by providing high-quality public service, outreach, cultural enrichment, health care, and economic advancement opportunities through academic, research and service programs. Visit our Web site at www.uasystem.ua.edu.

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Media Contact:  Cameron Morrow, Southern Company Media Relations, 404.262.3000