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News out today.
Monday January 19, 9:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: ChoiceCom
ChoiceCom Begins Local Telephone Service in Dallas and Houston
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- CSW/ICG ChoiceCom announced today the launch of its local telephone service in the major Texas cities of Dallas and Houston.
ChoiceCom is a landmark venture between CSW Communications, Inc., a subsidiary of Central and South West Corporation (NYSE: CSR - news) and ICG Telecom Group, Inc., a subsidiary of ICG Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICGX - news). It began offering local telephone, long distance and data transmission services in Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio during the second half of 1997. ChoiceCom also owns and operates high capacity fiber-optic lines that link several cities in Texas and Louisiana, and is completing other lines that will connect Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
''We are committed to being the dominant alternative telecommunications provider in the markets that we serve,'' said ChoiceCom President Carey Balzer. ''ChoiceCom has a competitive edge over the local phone monopolies because of our customer service focus, better value and our fiber optic network. By providing local service in Dallas and Houston, we now have a strong presence in most of the principal cities in Texas.''
ChoiceCom has begun operating state-of-the-art Lucent 5ESS(R) switches that the company installed in Austin and San Antonio. The same type of switch will be ready for operation in Corpus Christi in February, and ChoiceCom also plans to install Lucent 5ESS(R) switches in Dallas and Houston in 1998.
Central and South West Corporation is a public utility holding company based in Dallas. Central and South West owns four electric operating subsidiaries in the United States, a regional electricity company in the United Kingdom, and non-utility subsidiaries that offer independent power production, telecommunications, energy efficiency and financial services.
On December 22, 1997, Central and South West announced a definitive merger agreement for a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction with American Electric Power Company, Inc.
ICG Communications, Inc., based in Englewood, CO., consists of ICG Telecom, ICG Fiber Optic Technologies, and ICG Satellite Services. Telecom Group is ICG's competitive local exchange company (CLEC) and enhanced services business. Fiber Optic Technologies provides network integration and support services. Satellite Services provides maritime telecommunications network and international end-to-end voice and data services, and operates VSAT (very small aperture terminal) private data networks.
SOURCE: ChoiceCom
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