Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises Names Kenneth E. Lee As New Vice President and General Counsel.

Business Editors

DALLAS, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

Michael J. Mahoney, president and chief executive officer of Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc. (CTE) (Nasdaq: CTCO, CTCOB), today announced the appointment of Kenneth E. Lee as vice president and general counsel, effective immediately.

Mr. Lee will also serve as CTE's corporate secretary.

Mr. Lee replaces John J. Jones who had been acting in the dual capacity of executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for both CTE and RCN Corporation (formerly both units of C-TEC Corporation).

In this position, Mr. Lee, 39, will be responsible for litigation management, contract review and legal affairs, and will serve as in-house counsel for all CTE companies. Mr. Lee will report to Mr. Mahoney.

Mr. Lee has extensive experience in the legal affairs arena. Before joining CTE, Mr. Lee was affiliated with Gentex Corporation and Gentex Optics, Inc. as director of administration and in-house counsel since 1994. In that position, he was responsible for acquisitions and joint ventures, litigation management, contract review and corporate secretarial duties.

Prior to Gentex, Mr. Lee served as a congressman in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1988 - 1994, representing the 111th Pennsylvania district and working with the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the House Consumer Affairs Committee. During his career, he has also worked with BioFor, Inc. as vice president of administration and business development, and as an attorney with the law firm of Farr, Davis & Fitze, Tunkhannock, PA.

Mr. Lee holds a B.A. in history from Yale University, New Haven, CT; and a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, PA.

About CTE

Headquartered in Dallas, PA, Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc., serves a growing base of business and residential customers with the full array of state-of-the-art data and voice telecommunications products and services, including broadband data services and high-speed Internet access, delivered over its 100% digitally-switched, fiber-rich network.

CTE's primary operating segments are: Commonwealth Telephone Company ("CT"), the nation's eighth largest independent incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC), which has been operating in various rural Pennsylvania markets since 1897; and, CTSI, Inc. ("CTSI"), a local exchange carrier operating outside CT's territory that commenced operations in 1997. CTE's support businesses include epix(TM) Internet Services (www.epix.net), one of the northeast's largest rural ISPs with over 48,000 dial-up Internet access subscribers; and, Jack Flash(R), a broadband data service that uses DSL technology to offer high-speed Internet access and digital connectivity solutions. Additionally, CTE operates two other support businesses that provide expertise to its CT and CTSI operations. These businesses are Commonwealth Communications, a provider of telecommunications equipment and facilities management services; and, CLD, a switch-based long-distance reseller.

A web site featuring current information regarding Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc. can be found on the Internet at www.ct-enterprises.com.