Backbone Communications Inc. Introduces Fluid, Full-Motion Video Over ATM for 25 Cents a Minute; Nationwide Broadband Video Telephony Service.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2000

Make a video call for less than a public phone call using your desktop PC and Backbone Communications' (BBCOM's) Video Telephony network.

BBCOM's broadband video telephony service is the first to offer fluid, full-motion on-net video calls over a nationwide ATM network for 25 cents a minute.

Using a single T-1 line, each video call is delivered at 768 kbps, equal to six ISDN lines, further ensuring optimum output and higher performance.

"ATM is the most logical choice for performing fluid, full-motion video calls from your desktop PC or conference room," said Robert Bral, BBCOM president and chief executive officer. "Due to its user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), more and more enterprises have made the migration to IP video over ATM."

Additional features of BBCOM's video telephony network include multiparty conferencing, call detail records and central off-net gateway access to the legacy ISDN network.

Members may utilize the service by first accessing BBCOM's ATM network. Once on its network, the member may access both on-net ATM and off-net ISDN destinations directly through its network, removing the burden of having direct individual ISDN connectivity for off-net ISDN destinations.

Full-motion, off-net video calls are billed at 50 cents per minute. All calls require a call set-up fee of $1 per call and monthly service fee of $100/month per account.

"We have designed our service with the enterprise needs in mind, keeping the quality of the video call very high and the cost per call low," said Bral.

BBCOM's video telephony service is currently available in 26 major metropolitan cities across the United States. For more information or a preliminary quote call 800/987-1111, ext. 246, or visit www.bbcominc.com.

BBCOM, founded in 1997 by Bral, is an integrated communications provider whose main goal is to provide the corporate business with the economical benefits derived from the convergence of multiple services over one integrated facility.

Its network is based on state-of-the-art Lucent CBX 500/550 series ATM switches, Cisco GSR 12000 IP routers as well as Class 4/5 telephony switches strategically situated in most major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Using this infrastructure, the company is able to provide the next generation of telecommunications services including: Frame Relay; ATM; local and long distance; high-speed Internet; private and public data communications as well as video telephony over one converged local loop.