LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
                        SECTION 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

     Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby makes, constitutes
and appoints Barbara L. Blackford and Mary Love Sullenberger, each acting
individually, as the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full
power and authority as hereinafter described on behalf of and in the name, place
and stead of the undersigned to:

         (1) prepare, execute, acknowledge, deliver and file Forms 3, 4, and 5
(including any amendments thereto) with respect to the securities of AirGate
PCS, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission, any national securities exchanges and the
Company, as considered necessary or advisable under Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, as amended from time to time (the "Exchange Act");

         (2) seek or obtain, as the undersigned's representative and on the
undersigned's behalf, information on transactions in the Company's securities
from any third party, including brokers, employee benefit plan administrators
and trustees, and the undersigned hereby authorizes any such person to release
any such information to the undersigned and approves and ratifies any such
release of information; and

         (3) perform any and all other acts which in the discretion of such
attorney-in-fact are necessary or desirable for and on behalf of the undersigned
in connection with the foregoing.

         The undersigned acknowledges that:

         (1) this Limited Power of Attorney authorizes, but does not require,
each attorney-in-fact to act in their discretion on information provided to the
attorney-in-fact without independent verification of such information;

         (2) any documents prepared and/or executed by any attorney-in-fact on
behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Limited Power of Attorney will be in
such form and will contain such information and disclosure as the
attorney-in-fact, in his or her discretion, deems necessary or desirable;

         (3) neither the Company nor either of the attorneys-in-fact assumes (i)
any liability for the undersigned's compliance or failure to comply with the
requirements of the Exchange Act, or (ii) any obligation or liability of the
undersigned for profit disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; and

         (4) this Limited Power of Attorney does not relieve the undersigned
from responsibility for compliance with the undersigned's obligations under the
Exchange Act, including without limitation the reporting requirements under
Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

         The undersigned hereby gives and grants each of the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform any and every act
and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary or appropriate to be done in the
exercise of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do if present, hereby ratifying all
that each such attorney-in-fact of, for and on behalf of the undersigned, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Limited Power of Attorney.

         This Limited Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect
until revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to each
attorney-in-fact.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Limited Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 1st day of February, 2004.


                                    /s/ Thomas M. Dougherty
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                                    Signature

                                        Thomas M. Dougherty
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