CopperCom Enters Into RUS Field Trial at Lost Nation-Elwood Telephone; Iowa IOC Selects Next-Gen Switch to Replace Legacy Equipment.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2003

CopperCom, the company that is Liberating the Local Exchange(TM), today announced that its CSX 1100 local exchange softswitch system has been approved for a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) field trial. The trial is to be conducted with Lost Nation-Elwood Telephone Company, an Independent Operating Carrier (IOC) based in Lost Nation, Iowa. The CopperCom system will replace a Nortel DMS-10 switch.

CopperCom has applied for RUS acceptance of the CSX 1100. They have certified that the switch is in compliance with all requirements of the RUS Form 522. Additionally, the application for listing includes detailed specifications describing every aspect of CopperCom's switching system, including its features, operation, technician interfaces, interoffice connections, maintenance, alarms and power.

RUS, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides rural utility companies with low-interest financing for the purchase of RUS listed telecommunications equipment. RUS telecommunications lending creates public-private partnerships to finance the construction of the telecommunications infrastructure in rural America, and is a vital source of financing and technical assistance for rural telecommunications systems.

"By conducting a thorough assessment of our switching platform and performance, the RUS Telecommunications Standards Division provides an assurance to RUS-funded providers that the CopperCom softswitch system meets all the traditional requirements of the long-established IOC community," said Ken Horn, senior vice president of sales and marketing, CopperCom. "We are also excited about the opportunity to demonstrate the value-added features including CALEA and GR-303 support of the advanced CopperCom CSX 1100 switching solution."

"We selected CopperCom's CSX 1100 for a RUS trial because of its flexible architecture -- based on CPML, ease of integration to our existing network and its ability to easily evolve to a packet infrastructure in the future," said Tom Mullins, chief executive officer, Lost Nation-Elwood Telephone. "One thing that impressed us most about CopperCom is their partnership approach and dedication to the customer."

About CopperCom

CopperCom, the company that is Liberating the Local Exchange(TM), offers an innovative suite of telecommunications solutions for the local exchange. As the only company to design an end-to-end architecture that combines a robust softswitch system with voice over broadband access, CopperCom enables incumbent and competitive carriers to offer a revolutionary way of delivering local telephone service to subscribers over circuit or packet-based broadband connections. Founded in 1997, CopperCom is a privately held company headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. Leading venture partners, including Advent International, Advanced Technology Ventures, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures and The VMS Group, fund the company. For additional information, CopperCom can be reached directly at 561/322-4000, or via the Internet at http://www.coppercom.com.

CopperCom, CopperCom Local Exchange Softswitch System and Liberating the Local Exchange are trademarks of CopperCom.