Excel Communications Announces Three Cents-A-Minute Calling Plan - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Sept 13, 1999

Excel Communications, Inc. Tuesday announced an innovative long distance calling plan for new and existing residential customers. Excel's Three-Penny Plan allows customers to make interstate calls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., 7 days a week, including holidays, and pay only three cents a minute. The interstate rate between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. is 10 cents per minute, the monthly service charge for the plan is $5.95 and intrastate rates vary.

"Excel's Three-Penny Plan complements our comprehensive offering of telecommunications products and services," said Kenny A. Troutt, Excel's founder and chief executive officer. "The Three-Penny Plan enables our independent representatives (IRs) to attract new business by offering value-added services. At Excel, our goal is simply to provide the best value to our customers while enhancing the business-building opportunities for our IRs."

Excel's Three-Penny Plan promotion applies to calls throughout the United States and is only available to customers who sign up between October 15, 1999 and December 31,1999. After the October 15, 1999 through December 31, 1999 limited sign-up window closes, those customers who signed up can retain the plan, but no additional customers will be added to the Three-Penny Plan after the December 31, 1999 deadline.

Troutt added, "A year ago we announced Excel's Simply 7 Plan with 7 cents-a-minute, flat-rate interstate pricing. This was an innovative way to offer consumers calling flexibility throughout the day all week long. We are just now seeing the competition follow suit. With Tuesday's announcement, Excel resumes its leadership position by offering a new product, the Three-Penny Plan, that will meet the needs of consumers with heavy interstate calling patterns during off-peak hours. We are able to offer this new plan because Excel is a facilities-based provider and we can leverage our network."

FMI: 1-888-ORDER-XL.

Dallas-based Excel Communications, Inc., a subsidiary of Teleglobe Inc. is one of the largest providers of telecommunications services in the United States. Through a combination of distribution channels including network marketing, commercial sales offices and direct mail,

Excel offers subscribers residential and commercial long distance service, as well as Internet access, dial-around services, calling cards and paging services. Excel markets these products nationwide to residential and commercial customers under the Excel and Telco brand names. Visit Excel's home page on the World Wide Web: www.excel.com.

Teleglobe Inc., is a recognized leader in global telecommunications. Through its other subsidiary Teleglobe Communications Corporation, it develops and supplies global connectivity services to carriers, ISPs, multinational corporations and broadcast customers worldwide. Teleglobe Inc. is the fourth-ranked long distance provider in the United States, based on revenue and capacity, and is the third-largest owner of international undersea fiber optic cable systems in the world. Teleglobe has a 50% interest in ORBCOMM, the world's first commercial low-earth-orbit, satellite-based, data communications system. up2 technologies inc., a subsidiary of Teleglobe, operates a world-class electronic commerce platform. Teleglobe recently announced that it would invest US$5 billion over the next five years to build GlobeSystem, the world's first globally integrated Internet, voice, data and video network.

GlobeSystem will increase Teleglobe's currently installed network capacity by an estimated 200-fold, and provides customers with direct network access from 160 major cities worldwide. Visit Teleglobe's home page on the World Wide Web: www.teleglobe.com.