BELLSOUTH CORPORATION
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (AMENDMENT NO. )
Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
o Preliminary Proxy Statement
o
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
o Definitive Proxy Statement
þ Definitive Additional Materials
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
BELLSOUTH CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ No fee required
o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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**This
document has previously been filed but the cover page was
inadvertently omitted. The text of the filing is unchanged.**
REMARKS OF DUANE ACKERMAN
CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BELLSOUTH CORPORATION
HEARING ON THE AT&T AND BELLSOUTH MERGER:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CONSUMERS?
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SENATE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ANTITRUST, COMPETITION POLICY
AND CONSUMER RIGHTS
June 22, 2006
601 words. Approx. 3 minutes
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to talk about
why the BellSouth-AT&T combination is good for our customers and good for our nation.
A New Day in Communications
To understand the benefits of this merger, its important to recognize how much communications
has changed since divestiture in 1984.
Over the last two decades, the industry has shifted from wireline to wireless...from
narrowband to broadband. IP, or Internet Protocol technology, has enabled the convergence of once
separate voice, video and
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data services. And, consumers have an increasing array of wireless, wireline, and Voice Over
IP providers to choose from.
This merger will create an innovative and efficient provider for this new day in
communications.
Five Key Benefits
I would like to highlight five benefits for consumers and the nation.
First... the simplification of Cingular management will lead to faster delivery of
improved services to customers. Along with streamlined management, the merger enables the
integration of the companies separate networks into a single global IP network that advances the
convergence of the three screens many customers rely on today- televisions, computers, and
wireless devices.
Second... IPTV faster. Consumers seeking an alternative to cable will see faster and more
economic deployment of next-generation IP television networks. By combining BellSouths fiber-rich
network with AT&Ts investments in IPTV technology, the new company will have the national
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scale and the resources to deploy video services more quickly in competition with cable.
Third... more reliability and better disaster recovery and response.
The merger will join AT&Ts disaster recovery capabilities, developed to meet the needs of
government and enterprise customers, with BellSouths experience in responding to hurricanes.
Combined, the companies can restore critical communications capabilities quicker and coordinate
with key government agencies more effectively.
Fourth... more innovation. Customers in the Southeast and the rest of the country
will benefit from the innovation of AT&T Labs, as well as the combination of AT&Ts
state-of-the-art national networks with BellSouths local expertise. The merger would also give
business and government customers a reliable U.S.-based provider of integrated, secure, and
competitively priced services to meet their needs anywhere in the world.
Fifth, more cost-efficiencies. The merger will allow for cost-savings of
approximately $18 billion primarily by eliminating duplication. This will
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enable the new company to be an
even more effective competitor with cable in the new century.
All of these benefits come without the loss of mass market competition because AT&T withdrew
from the traditional consumer market in 2004, and is now one of many consumer VOIP providers .
Competition in the business market also will not be diminished because the two companies have a
different focusBellSouth concentrates its efforts on customers whose service needs are
predominately in our nine state region, while AT&T concentrates on business customers with a more
national and global reach.
Together, American industry and policymakers have helped usher in a new day in communications.
Now, our job is to lead our customers and our nation forward... To keep pushing innovation
barriers ...to keep building better and faster networks... and to make technology work for
people...how they need it, where they need it, when they need it. With
your support, this merger will enable us to do just that. Its good for consumers and its good
for America. Thank you for your time.
NOTE: In connection with the proposed merger, AT&T Inc. (AT&T) filed a registration
statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-132904), containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus
of AT&T and BellSouth Corporation (BellSouth), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
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SEC) which was declared effective on June 2, 2006. Investors are urged to read the registration
statement and the joint proxy statement/prospectus contained therein (including all amendments and
supplements to it) because it contains important information. Investors may obtain free copies of
the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings
containing information about AT&T and BellSouth, without charge, at the SECs Web site (www.sec.gov). Copies of AT&Ts filings may also be obtained without charge from AT&T at
AT&Ts Web site (www.att.com) or by directing a request to AT&T Inc. Stockholder Services,
175 E. Houston, San Antonio, Texas 78205. Copies of BellSouths filings may be obtained without
charge from BellSouth at BellSouths Web site (www.bellsouth.com) or by directing a
request to BellSouth at Investor Relations, 1155 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
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