AirGate PCS, Inc., a Sprint PCS Network Partner,Announces Commercial Launch of Advanced Wireless...

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 3, 2000

Service Will Soon be Offered in Asheville and Hickory, North Carolina

AirGate PCS, Inc., (Nasdaq/NM:PCSA), a Sprint PCS (NYSE:PCS) Network Partner, announced today the launch of the Company's initial phase of operation

of wireless personal communications services (PCS). This phase covers a significant portion of AirGate's southeastern territory including the metropolitan areas of Greenville-Spartanburg and Anderson, South Carolina. In addition, the Company announced that PCS service will be available in Asheville and Hickory, North Carolina, effective January 11. As a result, AirGate will have the immediate opportunity to offer Sprint PCS Products and Services to over 1.5 million residents in the combined regions.

"In advance of our expected target date, we are very pleased to announce the completion of the initial phase of our all-digital PCS network and the launch of commercial service for consumers and businesses in these new markets," commented Thomas M. Dougherty, president and chief executive officer of AirGate PCS. "This strategic region in our southeastern territory marks the first phase of AirGate's network coverage, or 22% of our total market area of over 6.8 million residents, and further extends the Sprint PCS nationwide digital network. We are on track with our network build-out plan and expect to have our PCS network completed and to be operational in the rest of our market region by the end of 2000."

Dougherty continued, "As the exclusive provider of Sprint PCS Products and Services in our territory, we have the opportunity to benefit from the brand identity and exceptional support and customer service that are synonymous with the trusted Sprint PCS name. We believe that AirGate is well positioned to be a formidable competitor in this fast growing region and earn a significant share of the rapidly growing market for wireless communications service in our territory."

AirGate PCS, Inc. is the exclusive manager and operator of Sprint PCS Products and Services throughout most of the state of South Carolina, including Charleston, Columbia and Greenville-Spartanburg, parts of North Carolina, including Asheville, Wilmington and Hickory, and the eastern Georgia cities of Augusta and Savannah. With a territory that includes more than 6.8 million POPs covering 62,000 contiguous square miles. AirGate PCS is one of the largest Sprint PCS Network Partners based on the size of the population in its territory. As a Sprint PCS Network Partner, AirGate PCS is building its own PCS network to exclusively provide 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS products and services under the Sprint PCS brand names in its territory.

Sprint PCS operates the largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has licensed PCS coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the Sprint PCS web site at http://www.sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a wholly-owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol "PCS."

Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $17 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 20 million business and residential customers.

Statements contained in this news release regarding expected financial results and other planned events are forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. Actual future events or results may differ materially from these statements. Readers are referred to the documents filed by AirGate PCS, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent filings which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including potential fluctuations in quarterly results, dependence on new product development, rapid technological and market change, risks related to future growth and rapid expansion, volatility of stock prices, and risks related to the year 2000. These and other applicable risks are summarized under the caption "risk factors" in the Company=s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-79189-01), as declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 27, 1999.