Eau Claire, WI - July 10, 2000 - Wisconsin Independent Network™, LLC, (WIN™) a fiber based carrier and bandwidth provider in Wisconsin and Minnesota, announced today the awarding of a bid for SONET Multiplexing equipment to Nortel.

"We are pleased to award this bid to Nortel and are excited about the continued growth of our fiber network in Wisconsin and Minnesota," said Scott Hoffmann, Executive Director of WIN. "The implementation of this network represents a significant entry for WIN in the southeastern area of Minnesota and western and central Wisconsin."

Once completed in fall 2000, the new network will extend 670 miles from Eau Claire, WI, through Rochester and Winona, MN, through La Crosse, WI, on through a number of communities in Wisconsin, to Wisconsin Rapids to just outside of Wausau, WI. The network will operate initially as an OC-48 SONET network, with plans for future upgrades via wavelength division multiplexing. This SONET ring will serve as the lead field project for Nortel's new OC-48 GX platform.

Wisconsin Independent Network currently operates a 600 mile SONET ring in Wisconsin and Minnesota that runs through Minneapolis, MN, Eau Claire, WI, and Superior, WI. With the completion of the new SONET ring, along with a new fiber route to Phillips, WI, the WIN network with have twenty-four points of presence (POPs) throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, with more planned for 2001.

"We see WIN very shortly operating the premier carrier network in Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota," said Hoffmann. "Utilizing fiber optics, wavelength division multiplexing and Nortel SONET multiplexing equipment, we will be positioned to offer bandwidth on a widespread basis in our region, over a state-of-the-art SONET infrastructure that will offer customers diversity and error-free reliability with our self-healing network."

• WIN and Nortel's official press release
• Nortel's press release