Advanced Communications Prepares for Facilities-Based Network; Integrated Telecommunications Provider Praises Engineering and Operations Team.

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 1998--Advanced Communications (NYSE:ADG) today announced that it has taken the first steps toward designing a facilities-based local network, praising the success of its engineering and operations team. Leading this group are Terry O'Neill, vice president, engineering; Don Sarchet, vice president, operations; Paulette Klimaszewski, manager, facilities engineering; Stan Stotler, director, enhanced services; and Christine Lowes, manager, project implementation.

"Advanced Communications expects to provide facilities-based local services on our own network by the end of this calendar year," said Richard P. Anthony, chairman and CEO, Advanced Communications. "We have assembled one of the most outstanding groups of engineers and operations professionals in the industry. Terry and Don have built excellent teams, which have upgraded our existing network, modernized long distance equipment and created a system that will be able to support our own facilities-based network with Internet protocol (IP) voice traffic. This is the team that implements the Advanced Communications 'Build Smart' strategy. The engineering and operations group has developed a network to support the needs of our customer base, rather than looking for customers who will fit into an existing network."

With 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, O'Neill comes to Advanced Communications from Brooks Worldcom, St. Louis, Mo., where he served as vice president, regional engineering and operations. Prior to Worldcom, he served as director, telephony engineering for TCI; director, network planning at TCG; director, operations for MFS Telecom/Jones Lightware; and worked in telecommunications enginering and operations for Public Service Co. of Colorado, all located in Denver.

Sarchet has more than 30 years of telecommunications experience, having worked for Southwestern Bell from 1966 to 1984. Since that time, he has worked for ClayDesta Digital Corporation, Lubbock, Texas; Advanced Telecommunications Corporation, which acquired ClayDesta; and Valu-Line Long Distance of Longview, Texas, where he served as vice president, network operations. At Advanced Communications, Sarchet's responsibilities include the consolidation of the network as well as day-to-day operation, administration and maintenance of the switch and network sites.

As director, advanced technology for Advanced Communications, Stan Stotler is responsible for technology assessment and integration into the company's infrastructure in support of advanced data services. Stotler was previously director of applications engineering and product management for Brooks Worldcom. Also at Brooks, Stotler served as manager of network planning, senior manager of product planning and implementation and the senior engineer of transmission and switch facilities.

With 16 years of telecommunications experience, Klimaszewski, manager, facilities engineering, also comes to Advanced Communications from Brooks Worldcom, where she served as senior engineer and senior equipment engineer. Prior to Advanced Communications, Klimaszewski worked with GTE as a senior engineer and senior administrator. Previously, she was an engineer with ConTel in Missouri.

Lowes, manager, project implementation, has eight years of telecommunications experience in St. Louis with Southwestern Bell and Brooks Worldcom, where she served most recently as product marketing manager for new service development. She received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri, Rolla, Mo. and an M.S. in information networking from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Advanced Communications Group, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. is a regional competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) that provides a portfolio of integrated telecommunications services to business and residential customers in selected service areas and also publishes yellow pages directories. Currently operating in 13 Midwestern and Southern states, Advanced Communications has nearly 700 employees, half of whom are quota-bearing salespeople. The company also holds a 49 percent interest in KIN Network, Inc., which operates the largest fiber optic network in Kansas.

Advanced Communications Group, Inc. conducted no operations prior to its initial public offering and the concurrent acquisitions of its operating companies that were completed on February 18, 1998. Advanced Communications is unique among CLECs in that it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is cash flow positive when measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

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