Broadwing's Rick Ellenberger Addresses Congressional Forum on Technological and Economic Impact of Broadband Deployment Policy and Initiatives.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2002

"Outlines Actions for Bush Administration and Private Sector to Drive

Increased Broadband Adoption"

On Monday, Broadwing Inc. (NYSE:BRW) chairman-elect and CEO, Rick Ellenberger, addressed members of Congress, regulators, communications policy leaders, and business executives, on the technological and economic implications of broadband deployment initiatives under consideration in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission.

"Broadband communications continue to be heralded as a powerful tool for connecting people, businesses, and governments together not only to exchange information and ideas, but also to educate citizens, unlock new markets for trade and commerce, gain productivity increases, and further participation in government and communities - all initiatives which have positive competitive, economic, and national security implications," said Ellenberger.

While Ellenberger agreed with the intent of major policy initiatives that have been offered to promote greater broadband deployment across the United States, such as the Tauzin-Dingell legislation, the FCC's notice of proposed rulemaking on broadband services, and the TechNet proposal, he explained that furthering deployment alone does nothing to create a compelling reason for customers to adopt and use broadband services.

"Even ubiquitous broadband deployment will fall short of competitive, economic, or national security objectives unless people actually adopt broadband technology and use it to work, play, live, and learn," explained Ellenberger.

"Broadwing's local exchange company, Cincinnati Bell, which leads the nation in both deployment and adoption per capita, recognized early on that for people to have a propensity to adopt broadband technology, it must enable them to do things that are just not possible through other means," he continued.

"We will reach a tipping point of broad adoption when people have applications that enable interaction with government, education, and business online, instead of having to wait in line," said Ellenberger.

Several applications like interactive completion of everything from tax returns to motor vehicle registration, online government procurement and contracting, interactive assistance for veterans, social security, and medicare recipients, are in their nascent stages today. But to accelerate their development and adoption, more needs to be done.

Ellenberger encouraged Congress and the administration to lead by example and place the full informational, transactional, developmental, and social resources of the United States government online by end of this decade.

"As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, the US government also has the power to create a robust marketplace for e-commerce, e-learning, and e-medicine and e-government applications, without expending any additional funds. In fact, it is likely that the cost of obtaining goods and services would fall as the efficiencies of an electronic marketplace emerge," Ellenberger offered.

Additionally, companies who currently do business with the government would have a definitive economic incentive to deploy and adopt information and communications technology, creating a ripple effect throughout the economy.

"Furthermore, the communications and technology infrastructure required to support such an initiative, would also provide the foundation to satisfy the needs of the government for its own secure, flexible, robust communications as envisioned by Governor Ridge and the GovNet initiative. In fact, the bandwidth capacity, security applications, and performance capabilities of such a system exist today at companies like Broadwing," Ellenberger concluded.

About Broadwing

Broadwing Inc. (NYSE:BRW) is an integrated communications company. Broadwing leads the industry as the world's first intelligent, all-optical, switched network provider and offers businesses nationwide a competitive advantage by providing data, voice and Internet solutions that are flexible, reliable and innovative on its 18,500-mile optical network and its award-winning IP backbone. Local service subsidiary Cincinnati Bell is one of the nation's most respected and best performing local exchange and wireless providers with a legacy of unparalleled customer service excellence and financial strength. J.D. Power and Associates recently ranked Cincinnati Bell number one in customer satisfaction for both local residential telephone service and residential long distance among mainstream users. Cincinnati Bell provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services to residential and business customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Broadwing Inc. is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.broadwing.com.