Westelcom Leverages Integral Access PurePacket Platform to Offer Bundled Voice and Data Services

PurePacket™ Enables Westelcom to Gain a Competitive Advantage by Delivering Multi-Line Integrated Services Package over a Single Link

WASHINGTON - Jan. 30, 2001 - Integral Access, Inc. -- -- the intelligent MPLS access company -- today announced that Westelcom, a competitive local exchange carrier with operations in Northern New York State, is deploying the PurePacket platform to offer integrated voice and broadband data services in its markets. Westelcom is taking advantage of the PurePacket platform's ability to support integrated multi-line voice and broadband data services over a single DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) link to create unique service packages for business and residential customers in Plattsburgh, New York and neighboring communities. The IP-based PurePacket system enables Westelcom to generate additional revenues from its existing facilities by delivering multiple phone lines and a high-speed Internet connection to the same customer over a single copper pair. By eliminating the need to install separate copper lines for each service, PurePacket also lowers communications costs for Westelcom's end customers. Integral Access will demonstrate the PurePacket platform this week at the ComNet 2001 Conference and Expo at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, Booth 480.

For example, Westelcom is planning to create a unique residential services bundle that includes a phone line, a 384 Kbps Internet connection, plus a free second phone line. Westelcom is able to offer this second phone line at no additional charge due to the operational efficiencies of the PurePacketOUTburst Integrated Access Devices (IADs). A single customer premise located OUTburst-SB model allows carriers to offer business customers 24 voice lines and an Internet connection with a bi-directional transfer rate of up to 2.3 Mbps over a single copper link. Meanwhile, the OUTburst-Vx and -Dx models for residential and home office applications, support up to two phone/fax lines and a 2.3 Mbps Internet connection.

"The PurePacket platform enables us to deliver truly integrated services that are very attractive to our customers and gives us an important market advantage, all without upgrading our existing infrastructure," said Eric Kreckel, Corporate Engineer, Westelcom. "From a service creation and service delivery standpoint the Integral Access solution provides us with an important competitive edge, while allowing us to maximize revenue generation from our existing network resources."

"We are seeing a number of forward looking carriers, like Westelcom, moving from a circuit- to a packet-based infrastructure to cost effectively deliver integrated services, and create differentiated product bundles," said Jack Cicon, president and CEO, Integral Access. "Westelcom is an excellent example of a carrier that is taking advantage of the bandwidth efficiencies and operational benefits of the PurePacket platform to create new offerings that provide immediate benefits for end-users, and open up big market opportunities."

About PurePacket

The PurePacket platform allows network operators to cost-effectively provide business and residential customers with a wide range of voice and broadband data services including high speed Internet access, LAN interconnect and PBX networking. This complete IP-based access network solution is composed of customer located PurePacketOUTburst IADs, central office PurePacketNode aggregation devices, and the PurePacketOMS™ operations management system for network control and services management. To guarantee QoS, enable Class of Service (CoS), and maximize the traffic carrying capacity of access networks, PurePacket uses an MPLS-based architecture to route, transport and switch voice and data transmissions in packet format.

About Westelcom

Westelcom is a diversified communications company headquartered in Plattsburgh, New York. As a division of Chazy & Westport Telephone Corporation, an independent telephone company in operation since 1905, Westelcom has expanded into competitive local service and long distance to complement its current offerings of Internet services, telecommunications, and information systems solutions. To learn more about Westelcom, visit the company's Web site at http://www.westelcom.com.

About Integral Access

Integral Access, Inc. provides intelligent MPLS-based multi-service access systems that enable competitive carriers to offer differentiated services and combine voice/data on new generation IP-based networks, as well as traditional circuit switched infrastructures. Integral Access is based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and is privately held. To contact Integral Access call +1-978-256-8833, visit us on the Web at http://www.integralaccess.com, or write to info@integralaccess.com.

Note to editors: PurePacket, PurePacketNode and PurePacketOMS™ are trademarks of Integral Access, Inc. PurePacketOUTburst and the Integral Access logo are registered trademarks of Integral Access, Inc.