Advanced Communications Technologies Inc. -- Real Time Power Metering Trials Set to Solve Utilities Crippling Demand Management Issues.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2001

Advanced Communications Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:ADVC) (ACT-US) today announced that one of its Australian-based affiliates Australon Limited (ASX:AUR) has successfully completed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a major US based power utility for a large-scale field trial of the company's remote meter reading and home gateway technology -- ALon.

Commencing in June 2001 and operating for approximately three months during winter, the trial will demonstrate the ability of the ALon gateway to provide real-time power meter monitoring as well as a range of narrow and broad band services to certain segments of the utility's customer base. It is expected that successful completion of the trial will lead to a full-scale roll out of the ALon technology across the utility's customer base of in excess of 1 million homes.

Australon is presently in discussions with additional utilities, including Aurora Energy Pty Ltd, for further trials of the ALon system. If successful, these trials could lead to a roll out of Australon's technology over a customer base of more than 3 million homes representing in excess of 40% of the Australian market.

Importantly, the Australian trials of the ALon system will provide a valuable real world platform for demonstration of Australon's technologies to power utilities in the United States.

"Australon's real time power metering capabilities provide a solid solution to the dilemmas being faced by many US power utilities," said Roger May, Chairman of ACT-US. "Accurate tracking and efficient allocation of power usage not only allows the utilities to effectively manage demand across their network, which in itself can offer power consumption savings of up to 25%, it also ensures that they can invoice customers on a more frequent and accurate basis, which frees up vast sums of working capital leading to further savings. As Australon's partner in these trials is United States based we are very well placed to introduce this innovative technology to the US marketplace where demand side management issues are crippling power utilities. This is a substantial opportunity for Australon to make a major impact on the US utilities landscape."

The field trial also provides Australon with an opportunity to demonstrate additional features of the ALon home gateway device which will operate using largely the same infrastructure to provide a range of narrow and broad band services to the utility's customers. These services can comprise:

        Narrow band                  Broad band

      Home automation              Voice and data transmission
      Security services            High-speed internet access
      Other monitoring and         Entertainment services
       control services

In order to comply with Australian Stock Exchange listing rules this announcement was previously released in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday April 18, 2001.

About Australon

Australon Limited exclusively operates in the multi-billion dollar interconnected remote monitoring and control system industry. The company's principal business focus is to design, develop and market a range of products for the rapidly expanding interconnected remote monitoring and control systems industry. Australon has as its marketing focus both the Australian and the international markets, where its established and expanding range of innovative products provide solutions to meet the growing worldwide demand for interconnected monitoring and control systems. It is one of the first ASX-listed companies to exclusively operate in this exciting and rapidly growing sector. Australon utilises the now widely accepted "LonWorks" technology as the platform for its products. This technology was developed by the United States based Echelon Corporation (Nasdaq:ELON), a company with which Australon has developed a close and successful working relationship. Australon is represented in the United States of America by Australon Inc., a 50/50 joint venture between Australon Limited and Advanced Communications Technologies Inc.

For more information visit the company's web-site at http://www.australon.com.au.

About Advanced Communications Technologies

Advanced Communications Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:ADVC) is a leader in the field of Software Defined Radio that in conjunction with its Australian based affiliate has developed a proprietary, multiple-protocol wireless base station -- SpectruCell. Through eliminating the use of Qualcomm (Nasdaq:QCOM) chipsets, protocol specific hardware and by conducting all signal processing in software, SpectruCell provides for simultaneous support of multiple mobile communications protocols (CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, GSM & 3G) all in the same base station. Support for additional protocols is achieved through the uploading of additional software modules. By implementing the company's SpectruCell technology, network providers will be able to maintain service to their existing customer base and preserve the full utilization of their existing network infrastructure while at the same time securing a highly flexible migration path for evolving 3G-based protocols such as WCDMA and UMTS. SpectruCell is complemented by several other wireless technologies currently under development in Australia. Advanced Communication Technologies Inc. plans to market these products throughout North, South and Central America. For more information regarding Advanced Communications Technologies, visit www.act-usa.net.

The foregoing contains forward-looking information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. The actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. The company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results (expressed or implied) will not be realized.