ATLANTA, Feb 20, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cox Communications, Inc., (NYSE: COX) today announced a $100,000 donation to fund the design and development of the Cox Telecommunications Academy at the newly opened West Florida High School of Advanced Technology (WFHSAT) in Pensacola.

The school is the newest addition to Cox's Model Technology School program, through which Cox provides distance learning experiences, educational technology, high-speed Internet connections and unique online educational experiences to eight schools in its service area nationwide.

WFHSAT opened in August 2001 with a class of 300 ninth graders and has plans to expand to 1,200 students by August 2004. The school offers students 20 career paths, ranging from computer network support to pre-emergency medical technicians. The Cox Telecommunications Academy will provide specialized telecommunications training as well as mentors and internship opportunities. Cox trainers and academy instructors will cross-train students, whom by their senior years will be prepared and tested for certification as a Cox field service representative.

"This school is much different than a traditional trade school because we have geared the curriculum toward the students' career paths--our kids will spend the entire day applying what they learn in the classroom to real life experiences," said Lesa Morgan, principal of WFHSAT. "Cox is helping to provide an enriched technology experience for the students, both through their donation to the development of the Telecommunications Academy and through their involvement in the development of the curriculum and training programs."

"Cox is deeply committed to education and to giving back to our communities," said Keith Gregory, vice president and general manager for Cox's Gulf Coast operation, which serves the Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach areas. "In today's economy, it can be challenging to attract and retain talented people. The Cox Telecommunications Academy will integrate technology into students' everyday learning and allow them to choose and follow telecommunications as a career path."

Cox began the national Model Technology School program in 1994 as part of its commitment to education, centered on the belief that classrooms should be robust centers of learning. In San Diego, Omaha, Phoenix, New Orleans, Hampton Roads, Rhode Island, Las Vegas and now Pensacola, Cox has sponsored Cox Model Technology Schools, providing fiber-optic technology to create the ultimate learning environment for students.

"In creating the Cox Model Technology School program we strove to integrate technology and learning, providing students with `virtual' classroom experiences made possible through Cox's powerful technology," said Ellen East, vice president of Communications and Investor Relations for Cox Communications in Atlanta. "WFHSAT is one of eight Cox Model Technology Schools across the nation that utilizes cable technology to engage students in e-learning and empowers them to reach beyond classroom walls to extensive resources and knowledge. The program was launched as part of our longstanding commitment to education in the communities we serve."

In 2000 Cox launched the Horizon Community Learning Center in Phoenix, a charter school dedicated to the daily use of advanced cable technology in the classroom to empower students to utilize online resources. This partnership led to a contract with the Osborne School District to provide service to all of its schools, making it the first Cox Model Technology School District.

In 2001 Cox launched two more Model Technology Schools in addition to WFHSAT: the Andre Agassi College Prepatory Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, a school devoted to providing state-of-the-art fiber optic technology to "at-risk" children to develop technology skills to succeed in the 21st century; and the Chalmette High School in New Orleans, a school that utilizes cable's broadband capabilities and features an advanced in-school production facility to broadcast live communications throughout the entire school. Students are connected to each other and to extensive outside resources, such as universities and libraries, with Cox's broadband network.

Cox is Committed to Education

Cox Communications is committed to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves and has long been viewed as the premiere leader and provider of educational technology. For more than 12 years, Cox has provided private and public schools in its service areas with complimentary cable television services via Cable in the Classroom. Today 3.5 million students in 5,600 schools receive this free programming from Cox. In 1997, Cox began providing a complimentary high-speed Internet connection and unique online events to schools via its Line to Learning program, which is based on Cox's belief in the value of a high-speed learning connection to the classroom. The award-winning Line to Learning program was created to provide complimentary cable modems and Internet access to schools in communities where the Cox network is fully upgraded. To date, Cox has installed high-speed Internet access in 750 schools in eighteen communities. Through its commercial affiliate, Cox Business Services, the company also partners with school districts, libraries and universities in its service areas to build high-bandwidth wide area networks that link students, educators, parents and the community via broadband.

Acerca de Cox Communications

Cox Communications, a Fortune 500 company, serves approximately 6.2 million customers nationwide, making it the nation's fifth largest cable television company. A full-service provider of telecommunications products, Cox offers an array of services, including Cox Cable; advanced digital video programming services under the Cox Digital Cable brand; local and long distance telephone services under the Cox Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access under the brands Cox High Speed Internet, Road Runner and Cox Express; and commercial voice and data services via Cox Business Services. Cox is an investor in programming networks including Discovery Channel. More information about Cox Communications can be accessed on the Internet at www.cox.com/espanol.

CONTACT: Cox Communications, Atlanta Laura Oberhelman, 404/269-7562