For Immediate Release

David Rubashkin—Managing Director Competitive Broadband Coalition 301-656-2474

Ken Williams Touch America 202-434-8736

(Washington, DC) - The Competitive Broadband Coalition (CBC) today announced that Touch America has joined their ranks as an official member company. Joining with the other members of the CBC, they will fight to maintain a competitive market place, as was envisioned in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to deliver innovations and new technologies to Americans everywhere.

Touch America is the Montana Power Company's telecommunications subsidiary and the focus of its growth strategy is in broadband fiber-optic and wireless spectrum applications. Touch America is the owner, operator and developer of a 12,000 mile, state-of-the-art, high-speed, fiber-optic network that will have approximately 26,000 miles of fiber by year end 2001. Additionally, Touch America has recently acquired all of Qwest's long distance customers in the 14-state US West region.

In a prepared statement, Ken Williams of Touch America, and David Rubashkin of the CBC, had the following to say, "The Telecommunication Act of 1996 continued public policy emphasis on enhancing competition in the telecommunications industry. Telecommunication companies are moving aggressively to upgrade their networks while improving and expanding service offerings for all consumers. The results are astounding -- the 1996 Act has delivered more investment in broadband and telecom technology, more jobs, and more consumer benefits. We must fight to see that this continues."

"Legislative efforts (Tauzin-Dingell, HR 2420; Goodlatte-Boucher, HR 1685 and HR 1686; and Brownback, S 877), led by the Bell monopolies to repeal the Act's crucial market opening provisions would discourage competition in local telecommunications markets and dramatically slow the deployment of broadband services to rural America. Because of the dangers that could result from these bills, we ask Congress to join us in our opposition and reject them."