21st Century Telesis Selects Siemens EWSD Switch for Wireless Network.

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1998--21st Century Telesis and Siemens Telecom Networks have signed a letter of intent for the design and installation of an EWSD(R) Switching System to support the deployment of the Personal Access Communications System (PACS) radio technology in the 21st Century Telesis network. A formal contract is expected to be concluded by the end of June.

21st Century Telesis obtained PCS (Personal Communications Service) licenses for 27 markets in the PCS auction. It plans to deploy PACS technology throughout those markets that span six states and four regional areas. When completed, the network will serve approximately eight million points of presence (POPs).

The sophisticated PACS radio technology is designed to provide wireline-quality service over a wireless network. Using Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), the service will offer PCS options such as call waiting, caller ID and voice messaging. The PACS system supports wireless local loop and mobile usage for voice and high-speed data communications, ensuring a versatile and flexible platform for future wireless services.

At the heart of the PACS system is the Siemens EWSD Central Office Switch, a robust platform with the flexibility and scalability to address the increasingly demanding and diverse voice, data and networking communications needs for a wide range of residential and business customers. The EWSD switch is the world's leading switching system. More than 150 million ports have been installed and the system is used by more than 300 operators in approximately 100 countries.

The first system using the EWSD Switch will be deployed in Syracuse, N.Y. Siemens will be the switching system provider to 21st Century Telesis for 18 of the 27 markets, providing switching and network services. The Siemens switching platform, which includes the Smart Network concept, allows 21st Century to fulfill its plans of providing PCS and CLEC operations on the same platform.

21st Century Telesis, created in 1994 to provide affordable PCS services to the American consumer, has investors from independent telephone companies and the private sector.

Siemens Telecom Networks, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., is a leading provider of telecommunications solutions to the public network service providers in North America. The company designs and manufactures digital central office switching equipment, access network solutions, broadband switching systems, wireless solutions, end-to-end multimedia solutions, Internet solutions, network management products and transmission products. Siemens Telecom Networks is a subsidiary of Siemens AG, which has annual revenues of $63.7 billion (FY 96-97) and has operations in 193 countries. -0-

Siemens and EWSD are registered trademarks of Siemens AG.

CONTACT: Media Contacts:

Siemens:

Tom Phillips

561-955-3670

[e-mail]

or

Robert Bartolotta

561-955-3140

[e-mail]

or

21ST Century:

Phil Chasmar

714-752-2178