Agreement Leverages Electric Lightwave's Extensive Long Haul Network, Which
Traverses Many Rural Areas, to Provide Wenatchee Businesses an Alternate
Telecommunications Provider to GTE; Companies Expect to Roll Out Service Next
Year to Moses Lake, Yakima and Tri-Cities
WENATCHEE, Wash., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Telephone Inc. and
Electric Lightwave Inc. (Nasdaq: ELIX) today announced an agreement that will
enable Northwest Telephone to offer high-speed, high-tech telecommunications
services to businesses in Wenatchee and in the future to other central and
eastern Washington communities.
The services, which include feature-rich telecommunication services, plus
data transport and Internet connectivity, are expected to be available in
Wenatchee during the first quarter of 2000.
"We are excited about being able to offer businesses in Wenatchee the
option to choose a competitive telecommunications service provider for all of
their communication needs," said Andrew Metcalfe, president of Northwest
Telephone. "Our affiliation with Electric Lightwave gives our customers access
to one of the nation's highest technology fiber optic networks. That means our
services will be fast, dependable and a vital link to help local companies
gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace."
The three-year contract between Northwest Telephone and Electric Lightwave
is valued at more than $600,000.
"Enabling Northwest Telephone to bring competitive telecommunications
services to rural areas is something we're proud to be a part of," said Tony
Barbisan, Electric Lightwave's director of wholesale for the western US. "The
people at Northwest Telephone care about Wenatchee, they are excited about the
telecommunications revolution and are eager to put their products and services
to work for businesses there and in other rural communities. For us, this
relationship opens up an exciting new channel to leverage our $539 million
fiber network to help provide advanced high-speed telecommunications services
to the rural areas that our long haul route covers."
Northwest Telephone's network in Wenatchee will ride on Electric
Lightwave's Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) long haul fiber optic backbone
system that can transmit 2.4 gigabits of data per second, or the equivalent of
the entire contents of the Library of Congress in less than a minute.
About Northwest Telephone Inc.
Northwest Telephone Inc. (NTI) is aligning itself as a leading integrated
communications provider of feature rich local and long-distance telephone
service, Internet access, enhanced high-speed broadband data transport, ATM,
frame relay, videoconferencing, and data vaulting solutions with a primary
focus on the corporate customer. It has been through strategic alignment with
companies such as Electric Lightwave Inc. (ELI), that the ability to offer
high-speed telecommunication products to Eastern Washington is possible.
NTI's strategy is to provide these services under the umbrella of one
local company. The commitment to local service will be the key to success.
The company was founded in 1999 at Wenatchee, Washington, by former
Cellular One employees Andrew Metcalfe, Jenny Rickel, and Rex Pittsinger. All
natives to Central Washington, this group was key in the development of
wireless communications in North Central and Northeastern Washington. Their
more than 23 years combined experience in telecommunications engineering,
operations, sales and marketing, will ensure NTI's success.
About Electric Lightwave
Electric Lightwave Inc. is a leading integrated communications provider of
enhanced data services, frame relay, ATM and Internet access solutions to
bandwidth intensive businesses and the growing e-commerce market. The company
provides long distance, Internet and data services nationwide, with data
points-of-presence in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston,
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Calif.; Philadelphia, San Diego,
San Francisco, San Jose, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.
As a full-service provider, the company offers businesses local and long
distance telephone service and high-speed broadband transport that
interconnects major markets in the West, including Seattle, Sacramento,
Calif.; Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Boise, Idaho; Spokane, Wash.; and Portland,
Ore.
Founded in 1990 at Vancouver, Wash., the company employs 1,172 and
generated revenues of $101 million in 1998, up 65 percent from 1997.
Additional information about Electric Lightwave Inc. is located on the World
Wide Web at http://www.eli.net.
Forward-looking statements
Forward-looking information is subject to risk and uncertainty: This
release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements should be
read with the cautionary statements and important factors included in both
Companies' Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 at
Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and
Results of Operations
SOURCE Electric Lightwave Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.eli.net
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/117258.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 117258
CONTACT:
Susan Farmer of Electric Lightwave Inc.,
360-816-4518, or pager, 888-328-9235, or susan_farmer@eli.net;
Rex Pittsinger of Northwest Telephone Inc., 509-662-5671, ext.
203, or cell, 509-669-9500, or rpittsinger@nw-tel.com
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