ATLANTA -- BellSouth (NYSE: BLS - News) announced today that it is expanding coverage of its dial-up Internet service, BellSouth Internet Service, to 100 percent of the communities served by the company in Georgia. The addition of the 17 communities that will soon have access to BellSouth Internet dial service also means that existing BellSouth® FastAccess® DSL customers across the state will have a toll-free dial-in number for their back-up dial account.

"We are very excited about this new offering and the fact that all BellSouth customers in Georgia can enjoy the benefits of our BellSouth Internet Service, in addition to the other BellSouth services we offer across this state," said Phil Jacobs, President of BellSouth's Georgia Operations. "We are looking forward to serving new business and residential customers in these new markets and are certain that they will enjoy the reliability they expect from a BellSouth product, along with the convenience of a single bill for telecommunications and Internet services. And further, with this expansion, all FastAccess customers in these new cities will now have a local dial-in number for their back-up account," noted Jacobs.

BellSouth Internet Service will be made available in phases to the following new markets: Americus, Blackshear, Cave Spring, Claxton, Cochran, Colquitt, Cordele, Elberton, Hazlehurst, Louisville, Lumpkin, Millen, Rutledge, Sparta, Swainsboro, Tifton and Woodbury.

BellSouth based the decision to expand dial-up Internet service to all Georgia customers served by BellSouth on the favorable business environment established by the State of Georgia.

New residential dial-up customers with the BellSouth® Complete Choice® plan receive free activation and a special promotional price of only $9.95 per month for the first three months. Thereafter, service is only $15.95 per month. Customers without the Complete Choice plan receive free activation and the first three months for only $14.95 per month, and $20.95 per month thereafter.

With the recent upgrade of BellSouth's network to V.92 modem technology, BellSouth dial-up Internet customers enjoy faster downloading with enhanced compression of data, the ability to temporarily place Internet connections on hold while taking or placing a phone call and quicker connection times between the modem and the Internet. Customers throughout the BellSouth Internet Service region only need a V.92 capable dial-up modem to take advantage of this free new enhancement.

BellSouth Corp.