BellSouth Shelf Registration

Bellsouth Corp
30 July 2004



For more information:
LeAnn Hansen, BellSouth Media Relations       BellSouth Investor Relations
404-249-2839                                  800-241-3419

For Immediate Release:
July 30, 2004



        BellSouth Files Shelf Registration Statement for Debt Securities



ATLANTA - BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS) will file a shelf registration
statement today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to
$6.95 billion of debt securities.  The registration statement will allow the
company to offer one or more series of debt securities in amounts and on terms
to be determined.  Specific terms of the securities will be set forth in a
corresponding prospectus at the time that such securities are offered and sold.
The Company expects to sell a portion of the debt securities to fund the closing
of the Cingular acquisition of AT&T Wireless, Inc.  Additional debt securities
could be sold in the coming years as business opportunities arise.



As previously disclosed in its Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2004,
BellSouth signed a definitive agreement to sell its interests in Latin America
resulting in those operations meeting the criteria for reporting as discontinued
operations. Under generally accepted accounting principles, BellSouth is
required to reclassify previously reported prior period financial statements to
reflect the discontinued operations on a basis comparable to current
presentation.  The SEC's regulations require BellSouth's financial statements
that were included in its 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K to be updated for
discontinued operations in connection with the shelf registration statement
referenced above.  The updated financial statements will be filed with the SEC
on a Form 8-K today.



About BellSouth Corporation and this Shelf Registration Statement



BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in
Atlanta, Georgia, and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second
largest wireless voice and data provider.

Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most
comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the
market. Through BellSouth AnswersSM, residential and small business customers
can bundle their local and long distance service with dial up and high speed DSL
Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For
businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice
and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory
advertising through BellSouth(R) RealPages.comSM and The Real Yellow Pages(R).

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.  These
securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time
the registration statement becomes effective.  This communication shall not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy nor shall
there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification
under the securities laws of any such state.



More information about BellSouth can be found at www.bellsouth.com.

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