Southern Telecom® partnership with Henry County Broadband to enhance network connectivity

ATLANTA, March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Telecom, a subsidiary of Southern Company, today announced a strategic partnership with Henry County Broadband (HCB) to provide reciprocal assets and services in the Atlanta, Macon and Henry County, Ga., areas. Through the partnership, Southern Telecom and HCB will expand their respective networks, both now and in the future.

"Southern Telecom's fiber network, maintenance and colocation services will provide enhanced broadband capability to support Henry County Broadband's network," said Southern Telecom Business Development Manager Leif R. Ericson. "We are pleased to partner with HCB to enhance connectivity to the Henry County community."

As part of the project, Southern Telecom will provide HCB access to a 95-mile long-haul fiber network between Atlanta and Macon, and a metro network in Atlanta and Macon. In addition, HCB will provide Southern Telecom access to a 54-mile fiber network within Henry County. Under the terms of the agreement, both Southern Telecom and HCB will provide maintenance and colocation services for their systems.

The network expansion increases fiber and ring diversity while minimizing monthly operating and maintenance expenses. The project is expected to be completed later this year.

"Henry County Broadband's strategic partnership with Southern Telecom significantly enhances our ability to provide our customers with the highest capacity broadband services available in the industry," said Henry County Broadband President Allen Davis. "Along with supporting established legacy government, education, medical, utility and commercial sector customers, the development of our all-fiber optic network will serve to promote technically advanced business opportunities in the community which will drive economic development and job creation unique to Georgia in the I-75 corridor connecting Atlanta, Stockbridge, McDonough, Henry County and Macon."

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 certificated as a telecommunications provider 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 Henry County Broadband
Henry County Broadband is a wholly owned subsidiary of Savannah, Georgia-based Community Broadband, LLC that provides broadband services to enterprise and commercial customers. The company's fiber network southeast of Atlanta represents the most recent new opportunity developed by Allen Davis. For over 30 years, Mr. Davis led affiliated companies have successfully managed the capitalization, development, and operation of fiber optic network based opportunities in over 100 communities. Mr. Davis also manages a diverse portfolio of business interests in multiple sectors.

About Southern Company
With 4.4 million customers and nearly 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable 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 energy innovation, excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer and listed by DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks. The company received the 2012 Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development, was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080801/SOCOLOGO

SOURCE Southern Telecom