Frontier Communications Teams With Cisco Systems To Offer Complete Dedicated Internet Solution. Services and equipment combination accelerates carrier entry into Internet services market - Ready, Set, Connect! - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, August 2, 1999

Frontier Communications has teamed with Cisco Systems, Inc., to provide carriers and resellers with a complete, end-to-end dedicated Internet solution called Ready, Set, Connect! The announcement was made at the Telecom Resellers Association 1999 Summer Business Conference in Toronto.

The paradigm shift in the telecommunications industry is rapidly evolving from traditional switched long distance services to Internet applications. As a result, it is imperative for carriers and resellers to provide customers with reliable and economical data services.

The Frontier Ready, Set, Connect! solution enables carriers to develop an IP-based infrastructure through Internet access services, bandwidth and training support from Frontier, and equipment solutions from Cisco.

Globalcom, Inc., a full-service communications company based in Chicago and the first customer to utilize Ready, Set, Connect!, is doing just that.

"Globalcom has experienced rapid growth since its inception in 1993, leveraging a centralized operations center and state-of-the-art switching facility to deliver a very high level of customer support and satisfaction," said Globalcom President John Shave. "By utilizing the strengths of both Frontier and Cisco, we are quickly transforming ourselves from resale operations into a facilities-based integrated communications provider."

Specifically, Ready, Set, Connect! offers carriers:

* Nationwide connectivity to the Internet via the 24-node, OC-192-capable IP portion of the Frontier Optronics Network, which is a designated Cisco Powered Network

* Cost-effective product solutions from Cisco including routers, DSL and VPN equipment, LAN switches, CPE routers and VoIP gateways

* Installation and systems integration support

* On-site sales, technical and product training

* Sales tools

"The combined efforts of Cisco and Frontier will significantly reduce the time-to-market for carriers and resellers, enabling increased profitability and predictability of services," said Larry Lang, vice president of marketing for the Cisco Service Provider Line of Business. "The Ready, Set, Connect! offering will let carriers and resellers concentrate on their service portfolios and the New World service opportunity."

Ready, Set, Connect! is an enhancement to Frontier's dedicated Internet product CarrierConnect. It provides carriers direct connections to the Internet over Frontier's Cisco-powered IP-backbone at DS-1 through OC-3 speeds.

According to Anthony J. Cassara, president of carrier services for Frontier, "Ready, Set, Connect! underscores Frontier's commitment to provide carriers with high quality data services. This collaboration with Cisco allows us to offer a solution combining the most technologically advanced hardware and equipment, with one of the world's heartiest IP backbones, to create a complete Internet solution that is second to none."

Frontier boasts one of the industry's fastest and most secure networks. Connecting more than 120 markets in the United States, the Frontier Optronics Network uses the most advanced fiber optics with Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM). This futureproof architecture creates "liquid bandwidth," a scalable design that gives the network virtually unlimited capacity on demand. Such capacity can service any or multiple applications customers may deploy to support their business goals, now and well into the future.

Frontier Communications, a unit of Frontier Corporation (NYSE:FRO), is a leading Internet Protocol (IP) applications and communications services provider. Frontier recently agreed to merge with Global Crossing Ltd. (NASDAQ:GBLX). The combined company will own and operate the first seamless global IP network with more than 71,000 ultra-high bandwidth fiber miles connecting 159 major cities in 19 countries. For more information, visit www.frontiercorp.com or www.frontiercarrier.com.