**Exhibit 12**

**BellSouth Corporation**

**Computation Of Earnings To Fixed Charges**

**(Dollars In Millions)**

 

 
|                                                                                                                                                        | **For the Nine Months Ended September 30,** |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                                                                        | **2004**                                    | **2005** |
| **Earnings**                                                                                                                                                |                                        |   |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes, minority interest, discontinued operations, and cumulative effect of accounting change | $  4,545                                    | $  3,435 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated affiliates                                                                                                    | (328)                                       | (85) |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Portion of rental expense representative of interest factor                                                                                                 | 78                                          | 79 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Distributed income of equity affiliates                                                                                                                     | —                                      | — |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Interest expense                                                                                                                                            | 646                                         | 850 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Income, as adjusted                                                                                                                                         | $  4,941                                    | $  4,279 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| **Fixed Charges**                                                                                                                                           |                                        |   |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Interest expense                                                                                                                                            | $    646                                    | $    850 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Interest capitalized                                                                                                                                        | 4                                           | 6 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Portion of rental expense representative of interest factor                                                                                                 | 78                                          | 79 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| Fixed Charges                                                                                                                                               | $    728                                    | $   935 |
|                                                                                                                                                        |                                        |   |
| **Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges**                                                                                                                      | 6.79                                        | 4.58 |