U.S. CELLULAR EXPANDS NETWORK NEAR MACON

New Tower Helps Economic Development and Public Safety

Macon, Mo., - U.S. Cellular recently completed construction of a new cell site in Macon to improve call quality for its customers. The 250-foot site will increase U.S. Cellular's coverage in Macon and the surrounding rural areas, and will also complement U.S. Cellular's statewide network of more than 800 towers.

"Your cell phone is your lifeline to the people who are most important to you," said Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Missouri. "We're here to keep you connected. With a stronger network, Macon and the surrounding areas can also become more competitive in attracting new business."

U.S. Cellular has a team of network engineers who drive all over the coverage area to test signal strength and call quality. The company also listens to customer .feedback to determine the best locations for new cell sites.

This new site is part of U.S. Cellular's 3G Mobile Broadband network in Missouri which allows customers to access data on their cell phones 10 times faster than before and at no additional cost. With 3G speeds, browsing the Web on a smartphone is very similar to the experience on a desktop computer. Web pages open faster and customers can send and receive large email attachments. Downloads take less time and picture and video messages are delivered more quickly.

U.S. Cellular has led recent efforts to preserve federal support for rural wireless network development through Connecting Rural America, a coalition of public safety officials, economic development organizations and concerned citizens working for equality in wireless telecommunications. Its goal is to provide rural communities with the same access to wireless technology that urban communities already enjoy.