Eau Claire, WI - January 25, 2002 - Wisconsin Independent Network™, LLC, (WIN™) announced today the addition of a new SONET ring to its network in Wisconsin.

"I am extremely pleased with the addition of this new OC-48 SONET ring to the WIN network," said Scott Hoffmann, Executive Director of WIN. "We pride ourselves on bringing high speed data services over survivable SONET rings to rural areas where no other carriers have made such infrastructure investment. This new network is a prime example of this."

The new ring has points of presence (POP) sites at Baldwin, Amery, Milltown, Clear Lake, and Wilson, Wisconsin, and encompasses 183 route miles.

WIN's fiber optic network currently extends throughout Wisconsin and into Minnesota. There are three fully diverse and redundant OC-48 SONET rings in operation in the WIN network. Covering over 1370 miles, the WIN network features twenty-six POPs with full DS1, DS3, OC-3 and OC-12 add-drop capability. Ethernet services can also be offered over the network.

Plans for 2002 include turning up POPs in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago (700 S. Federal). In addition, a new POP will be turned up in Phillips, and plans for a POP in Oxford, Wisconsin have been made.