Atlanta  — SouthernLINC Wireless [NYSE: SO] will build a 4G LTE network to meet the growing data needs of its largest customer, Southern Company’s electric utilities. “Southern Company’s utilities’ need for high-speed data access continues to grow,” says Don Horsley, SouthernLINC Wireless president and CEO. “Our best option to meet that need is to build a regional 4G LTE network for them.”

Following the request for proposal process, the project was awarded to Ericsson as the preferred provider for radio access network and evolved packet cores and to Cisco to provide the multi-protocol label switching equipment.

Additional service and equipment awards may be communicated at a later date.

Planning and design for the 4G LTE network is now in progress. Construction will start in 2015 and the network should be fully operational by 2018. SouthernLINC Wireless will continue to operate its iDEN network for both Southern

Company affiliate customers and its regional customer base and sell nationwide services through an agreement with a mobile virtual network enabler.

For more information visit http://www.southernlinc.com/ and http://www.southerncompany.com/.