Lucent Technologies Inc.
September 15, 1998
US LEC Advances Switch Installation in Jacksonville, Florida
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- US LEC Corp. (Nasdaq: CLEC), a switch-based competitive local exchange carrier, announces that it will advance the installation of its planned Lucent Technologies, Inc. 5ESS(R)-2000 digital switch in Jacksonville, Florida, from the first quarter of 1999 to the fourth quarter of 1998.
Advancing Jacksonville's installation will allow the company to begin operations in the area much more quickly. US LEC is responding to the business opportunities in this market and has already begun developing a sales force in the Jacksonville area.
"US LEC's decision to accelerate the Jacksonville switch reflects the company's willingness to revise its plans based on our experience in other Southeast markets," said Tansukh Ganatra, US LEC President and Chief Operating Officer. "We assessed the availability and cost of leased fiber and evaluated Jacksonville's customer demographics and business climate, which closely parallel those in other successful US LEC markets. US LEC has adapted its installation schedule in response to these favorable assessments of the Jacksonville market."
In addition to the Jacksonville switch, and the switch that was installed in Orlando in August of this year, US LEC will install three more switches in Florida by the end of the first quarter of 1999. The Miami switch will be operational by the end of the third quarter of 1998 and the Tampa switch will be complete by the end of the fourth quarter of 1998. Sales offices are already open in Miami and Tampa, with sales teams in place to introduce US LEC to those markets. US LEC also plans to open a switch and a sales office in Fort Lauderdale by the end of the first quarter of 1999. Until the Fort Lauderdale switch and sales office open, Southeast Florida business opportunities will be serviced by US LEC's Miami office and switch.
Upon completion of the Fort Lauderdale switch, US LEC will operate five Lucent 5ESS-2000 switches in the state of Florida, and a total of 12 switches across the Southeast.
US LEC currently provides local, long distance and enhanced services to business customers in the BellSouth, GTE and Sprint service areas of North Carolina; the BellSouth and Sprint areas of Orlando, Florida; and the BellSouth areas of Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, Tennessee. The US LEC Network is comprised of Lucent Technologies, Inc. 5ESS(R)-2000 digital switches in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida. US LEC is currently certified to provide local exchange and long distance services in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia. The company serves large and mid-sized business customers and has over 115,000 Equivalent Access Lines* in service on the US LEC network as of July 31, 1998.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements, subject to uncertainties and risks, including the demand for US LEC's services, the ability of the Company to successfully attract and retain personnel, competition, uncertainties regarding its dealings with ILECs, other telecommunications carriers and facility providers, and regulatory uncertainties. These and other applicable risks are summarized in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the Company's prospectus dated April 23, 1998, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
*Equivalent Access Lines is a term used by US LEC to quantify the size of its network. Beginning July 1998, US LEC management revised its method of calculating EAL to reflect changes in the usage of the network. For a detailed explanation, please visit the network description section of the company's web site at www.uslec.com.
For more information, contact: Linda Healy, Marketing Communications Manager, at 704-319-1132 or lhealy@uslec.com. You can reach us on the web at uslec.com.
/CONTACT: Media, Linda Healy, Marketing Communications Manager, 704-319-1132, or lhealy@uslec.com, or Investors, Michael Robinson, 704-319-1114, or mrobinson@uslec.com, both of US LEC Corp./
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