Cincinnati Bell Acquires Long Distance Company; Bell's Integrated Communications Provider Strategy Strengthened.

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 1999--

Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE:CSN) announced today that it has acquired the business of Discounted Long Distance (DLD) of Knoxville, Tennessee.

DLD sells long distance services primarily to businesses in the Knoxville and Chattanooga metro areas. DLD will become part of Cincinnati Bell Long Distance (CBLD), which provides integrated communications services, including long-distance, data and Internet services to more than 60,000 customers in the Midwest.

"The acquisition of DLD enhances our position as a Midwest Integrated Communications Provider by expanding our reach into the rapidly growing mid-South region," said CBLD President Barry Nelson. "Combining DLD's reputation for providing high quality long distance products and excellent customer service with CBLD's expanded capabilities will give customers of this region access to a premier provider for all their communications needs."

DLD is a private long distance company with approximately 1,300 customers. CBLD plans to convert DLD's headquarters into a regional sales and service office and roughly double its staff, making the office similar in size and capability to CBLD's other regional offices. CBLD plans to add more offices in Tennessee.

CBLD is a full-service communications company, providing complete integrated packages of voice, data, and Internet communications services to businesses in the Midwest. CBLD augments its core services with voice messaging, paging, fax, and local communications services in selected markets.

Cincinnati Bell Inc. is a full service, integrated communications company that provides competitive local communications as well as data, Internet, wireless, long distance, entertainment, directory and data networking services to customers in the Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan area and throughout the Midwest. Cincinnati Bell is on the World Wide Web at www.cincinnatibell.com.