Eau Claire, WI - January 24, 2005 - Wisconsin Independent Network™, LLC, (WIN™) announced today the recent acquisition of dark fiber and the launch of its 2005 network build-out throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

"We have executed agreements to acquire over seven hundred miles of dark fiber in two routes from Minneapolis to Chicago and from Madison to Green Bay", said Executive Director Scott Hoffmann. "We are currently in the process of lighting this fiber and integrating it into our existing network."

The first phase, completed in early January, featured the addition of a new network point of presence in downtown Eau Claire, WI.

WIN is completing work to add network POPs at Madison, WI and Fond du Lac, WI. These locations are expected to be operational in February 2005.

Additional sites in Milwaukee, Chicago, Rockford and Minneapolis are expected to be on-network by mid-year. WIN also plans to add a DWDM overlay to its network in 2005.