Alcatel Telecom supplies digital cross connects for American Communications Services, Inc.

RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 1996--Alcatel Telecom is supplying its 1631 SX digital cross connects and fiber optic cable to 14 local networks owned and operated by American Communications Services, Inc. (ACSI).

ACSI's rapid growth in mid-sized cities in the southern United States is fueled by increasing customer demand for state-of-the-art telecommunications networks, such as the SONET (synchronous optical network) technology configured by ACSI and provided by Alcatel Telecom. Digital networks are attractive to customers who want a multimedia platform with higher bandwidth capacity and better quality than traditional analog systems.

Alcatel's cross connects function as an integral part of ACSI's ring architecture and they contribute to the network's superior reliability. For example, in the event of a fiber cut, the network automatically reroutes communications traffic in the reverse direction away from the cut. Rerouting can occur in a split second, resulting in no apparent service disruption. ACSI is using the Standard Matrix Configuration of the Alcatel 1631 SX to provide over 172,000 simultaneous voice and data circuits in each of its networks.

"Alcatel's port partitioning capability is of particular use in meeting the needs of our business customers. To bring even more advantages to these customers, we are looking at the cross connect's drop and insert capability via optical ports," said Dewey Yen, director of engineering for ACSI.

Ken Lewis, vice president and general manager for cross connect products at Alcatel, explains how using its technology gives ACSI a competitive advantage. "Our 1631 cross connect performs critical bandwidth management and performance monitoring tasks, optimizes traffic payloads, and provides constant service reliability. We are confident of the quality of the 1631 SX and the value it adds to any SONET network."

"That quality is important to ACSI as well because it ensures that ACSI's customers are getting top notch service, something ACSI has built its reputation upon," said Bob Ottman, executive vice president of network systems and technology services for ACSI.

Alcatel Telecommunications Cable, of Claremont, North Carolina, is providing loose tube fiber optic cables, featuring premium Alcatel fiber with state-of-the-art AFC3 coating, as well as ABM2 buffer tube material. These features ensure that ACSI's network is composed of top quality fiber optic cables to support the level of service subscribers are accustomed to.

Alcatel Telecom activities in North America include the design, manufacture and service of a full line of voice, data, video and multimedia telecommunications products -- such as ATM switching systems, digital cross connects, fiber optic transmission systems, optical amplifiers, microwave radios, wireless communications switches, video codecs, and network management systems. The telecommunications and broadcast industries, private operators and corporations use these products to create high performance networks. Alcatel also provides a full line of premium fiber optic cable products for outside plant and indoor environments. Included are optical fiber, loose tube, central tube and specialty cables, as well as riser and plenum rated cables for outside plant and building applications. Fiber is currently manufactured in eight facilities located in the U.S., Brazil and Europe. The worldwide operations of Alcatel Telecom make it one of the world's leading communications equipment manufacturers. Alcatel Telecom is part of the Alcatel Alsthom group, which maintains its headquarters in Paris. Alcatel Alsthom trades on the NYSE as ALA.

American Communications Services, Inc. is a competitive local exchange carrier that builds its own fiber optic networks which currently offer dedicated voice and data network solutions to business and government customers in mid-sized markets throughout the southern half of the U.S. ACSI has 17 networks operating in Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery, Ala.; Tucson, Ariz.; Little Rock, Ark.; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; Jackson, Miss.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Spartanburg, S.C.; and El Paso, Fort Worth, and Irving, Texas. The company has an additional seven networks under construction in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Central Maryland; Columbus, Ga.; Baton Rouge, La.; Chattanooga, Tenn; and Amarillo and Corpus Christi, Texas. This represents a total of 24 cities in operation or under construction. ACSI plans to have an additional six networks under construction in the fourth quarter 1996, with a total of 50 cities in operation or under construction by mid-1998. ACSI is traded on the NASDAQ National Market as ACNS. For more information about ACSI, contact www.acsi.net on the Internet.

CONTACT: Alcatel Telecom

Michael Newsom, 214/996-7896

or Internet: [e-mail]

or

American Communications Services, Inc.

Reese Griffith-Nank, 301/617-4259

or Internet: [e-mail]