Cincinnati Bell Selects Cisco for New Broadband Network to Greater Cincinnati.

SAN JOSE, Calif. and CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 1999--

Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell Inc., today announced it is deploying a new New World IP+ATM multiservice network infrastructure flexible, broadband network based on Cisco Systems, Inc.'s BPX(R) 8650 switch.

Cincinnati Bell's new network will enable the company to offer Greater Cincinnati companies multiple advanced, customer-centric services and new, future applications at reduced time to market.

"This is truly a next generation network," said Rick Pontin, president and chief operating officer of Cincinnati Bell Telephone. "It will be the launching pad for new business applications that require high bandwidth, scalability and unparalleled reliability. We listened to our business customers and developed an end-to-end solution that will address their current and future needs and give them considerable strategic competitive advantages."

This new network will provide customers with high-speed connectivity, increased productivity and extensible bandwidth as their networks grow, with a broad range of services to accommodate the full scope of network scenarios. Services include Ethernet and Token Ring Native LAN connections (the most popular networking technologies in use today, in large part because they strike a good balance between speed, cost and ease of installation), ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode, a high-speed, low-delay technology that supports multiple types of traffic, including video, data and voice) and IP (Internet Protocol, fast becoming the dominant network protocol due in large part to the explosion of the Internet).

The seamless connectivity provided by Cisco's IP+ATM solution will enable the migration of existing Cincinnati Bell services to the new network as well as the development of new applications. Cincinnati Bell will take advantage of the quality of service, reliability and cost effectiveness of their IP+ATM network to introduce new applications such as virtual private networks (VPNs), Web-based call centers, corporate training, video conferencing, LAN interconnection, high-speed Internet connectivity and cross-platform integration of communications traffic.

Cincinnati Bell's selection of Cisco Systems was based on the reliability and flexibility of Cisco's IP+ATM solution and Cisco's industry-leading support programs.

The BPX 8650 -- the foundation of the new network -- is the first solution in the industry to incorporate a carrier-class implementation of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), an emerging Internet Engineering Task Force standard pioneered by Cisco. Cisco's innovative approach of combining MPLS with open standard routing protocols enables end-to-end quality of service and eliminates the need for virtual circuits or tunneling in building VPNs. This combination, unique in the industry, significantly reduces networking complexity, increases scalability and enables end-to-end quality of service for IP business applications and services. These capabilities, along with the proven 99.999% reliability of the BPX 8650, will allow Cincinnati Bell to offer the strong service levels their customers demand.

"Cincinnati Bell is implementing a New World IP+ATM multiservice solution that enables businesses to expand their communications capabilities and adapt to a rapidly changing competitive environment," says Kevin Kennedy, senior vice president of Cisco Systems' Service Provider Line of Business. "With Cisco's value-added services and IP+ATM leadership behind it, Cincinnati Bell is uniquely positioned to take the Greater Cincinnati region to the next level of communications productivity."

Meeting Cisco's stringent criteria for quality of service and support and having a significant installation of Cisco equipment qualifies Cincinnati Bell a Cisco Powered Network(TM) member. A benefit of the program for Cincinnati Bell is its participation in joint marketing, technology sharing and selling activities with Cisco. In addition, utilizing Cisco's Total Implementation Solutions and Network Support Accounts programs, Cincinnati Bell reduces the time and cost of network deployment by having dedicated Cisco engineering support and project management to stage, pre-test, install and implement its network infrastructure. Cincinnati Bell's implementation of Cisco's IP+ATM solution will begin in August 1999, with completion scheduled for the Fall.

About Cincinnati Bell

Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE:CSN) is a full-service, integrated communications company that provides competitive local communications as well as data, Internet, wireless, entertainment, directory, long distance and data networking services to customers in the Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area and in many other Midwestern cities. Cincinnati Bell is on the World Wide Web at http://www.cincinnatibell.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com.

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