Exhibit 99.1

Contact: Will Seippel
Chief Financial Officer
404-525-7272



            AIRGATE PCS, INC. to Broadcast FIRST QUARTER FISCAL 2003
                      Conference Call Live on the Internet


ATLANTA  (February  17,  2003) - AirGate  PCS,  Inc.  (NASDAQ/NM:  PCSA),  a PCS
Affiliate  of  Sprint,  today  announced  that its  first  quarter  fiscal  2003
conference  call is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.  Eastern time on Wednesday,
February 19, 2003.

     The live  broadcast  of  AirGate  PCS'  quarterly  conference  call will be
available  on-line  at  www.airgatepcsa.com  and  www.companyboardroom.com.  The
on-line replay will follow shortly after the call and continue through March 19,
2003. To listen to the live call,  please go to the Web site at least 15 minutes
early to register, download, and install any necessary audio software.

     During  this call  AirGate  PCS will  review the  Company's  financial  and
operating results for the first quarter ended December 31, 2002.

     AirGate PCS, Inc.,  including its unrestricted  subsidiary iPCS, is the PCS
Affiliate  of  Sprint  with  the  exclusive  right  to  sell  wireless  mobility
communications   network  products  and  services  under  the  Sprint  brand  in
territories  within  seven states  located in the  Southeastern  and  Midwestern
United  States.  The  territories  include  over 14.5  million  residents in key
markets   such  as   Grand   Rapids,   Michigan;   Charleston,   Columbia,   and
Greenville-Spartanburg,   South   Carolina;   Augusta  and  Savannah,   Georgia;
Champaign-Urbana  and  Springfield,  Illinois;  and the  Quad  Cities  areas  of
Illinois and Iowa. AirGate PCS is among the largest PCS Affiliates of Sprint.

                                      -END-


<PAGE>


Corporate Communications, Inc.
523 Third Avenue South (Zip 37210)
Post Office Box 101190
Nashville, Tennessee  37224
615-254-3376 Phone
615-254-3420 Fax


                                                        Corporate Communications


                          You are invited to attend the

                       [GRAPHIC OMITTED][GRAPHIC OMITTED]

                    First Quarter Fiscal 2003 Conference Call

================================================================================
                          Wednesday, February 19, 2003
================================================================================
                             10:00 a.m. Eastern time
                 The number to call for this teleconference is:
                                 -913-981-4910-

                 AirGate's first quarter 2003 financial results
                      will be sent to you prior to the call


                                    PLAYBACK:
                    A telephonic replay will begin about two
                    hours after the call ends and run through
                     the end of business on February 26. To
                      listen to the playback, please dial:

                                 -719-457-0820-
                 Enter 159384 when prompted for the access code.

   Investors will have the opportunity to listen to a simulcast and replay of
        the conference call over the Internet at the Company's website at
       http://www.airgatepcsa.com and at http://www.companyboardroom.com.



