LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-- Sept. 30, 2005--Alltel (NYSE: AT) today filed a limited waiver with the Federal Communications Commission asking for additional time related to the E-911 rule requiring that 95 percent of Alltel's customers have location-based handsets by Dec. 31, 2005. Alltel is seeking to extend the deadline until June 30, 2007.

Alltel has initiated numerous marketing and communications campaigns encouraging consumers to upgrade their handsets, including eliminating fees, reducing prices for handsets, and using promotional campaigns through bill inserts, retail outlets and the company's Web site to encourage conversion.

However, customers in Alltel's predominantly rural areas, and many of the company's low-usage customers, have resisted converting to location-based handsets.

At the current conversion rate, Alltel expects that approximately 85 percent of its customers will have location-based handsets by Dec. 31, 2005.

The filing outlines Alltel's successful record of working with public safety agencies to deploy Phase I and Phase II emergency services and reiterates the company's commitment to supporting E-911 deployment. Since selecting its handset-based solution in 2000, Alltel has consistently met or exceeded all deadlines the FCC has set related to E-911 issues.

Alltel's filing today complies with the FCC's request that the company ask for a waiver on handset rules by Sept. 30. The FCC request was included in its review of Alltel's merger with Western Wireless Corp.

Alltel is a customer-focused communications company with more than 15 million customers in 36 states and nearly $10 billion in annual revenues.

Alltel claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties that could cause actual future events and results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future events and results. Actual future events and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors. Representative examples of these factors include (without limitation) adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets served by Alltel; the extent, timing, and overall effects of competition in the communications business; material changes in the communications industry generally that could adversely affect vendor relationships with equipment and network suppliers and customer relationships with wholesale customers; changes in communications technology; the risks associated with pending acquisitions and dispositions, including the pending acquisition of the Idaho markets and the pending dispositions of Western Wireless' Kansas and Nebraska markets and international assets; the risks associated with the integration of acquired businesses, including the integration of Western Wireless; the uncertainties related to any discussions or negotiations regarding the sale of any of the international assets or the wireline repositioning; adverse changes in the terms and conditions of the wireless roaming agreements of Alltel; the uncertainties related to Alltel's strategic investments; the effects of litigation; and the effects of federal and state legislation, rules, and regulations governing the communications industry. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes.

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