NewSouth Communications Promotes Gardner to Senior Vice President of Network Planning &Provisioning.

Business Editors

GREENVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2000

NewSouth Communications, a Broadband Integrated Communications Provider (BICP) announced recently that is has promoted Amy L. Gardner to Senior Vice President of Network Planning &Provisioning.

&uot;Amy is one of the most talented and respected leaders in the telecommunications industry. As an integral member of our senior staff, her background and experience add great value to our company,&uot; said Michael LaFrance, President &CEO of NewSouth Communications.

Gardner has nine years of experience in the telecommunications industry. She has served in various capacities with local and long distance companies, including LDDS Communications (currently known as MCI WorldCom), ACC Communications Corp., US ONE Communications Corp., and most recently, Qwest Communications Corp.

As Director of Network Optimization and Administration with Qwest Communications Corp., Gardner was responsible for all network cost, planning, translations, and traffic engineering on their DMS switch network. With her leadership, Qwest implemented the first long distance dedicated Voice over IP network in nine cities and in a record time of three months. She was also instrumental in planning access in over 125 cities on their nationwide network of over 17,000 miles of fiber.

In 1995, Gardner worked with US ONE Communications Corp. as Vice President of Network Design, where she planned, designed, engineered, and coordinated the installation of 14 AT& 5ESS-2000 switches in major markets of the United States.

At ACC Corp., Gardner served as Director of Network Services. She oversaw the Network Planning, Traffic Engineering, Provisioning, Routing, and Translations departments for the United States and Canada. Additionally, Gardner managed the implementation of ACC's IVR capability, coordinated the first transatlantic CCS7 link between Rochester and London, and participated in the implementation of the company's first Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) in Syracuse, New York.

Gardner graduated cum laude from Lambuth College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics.

About NewSouth Communications:

NewSouth Communications is a privately held BICP whose senior management team collectively possesses hundreds of years of experience in successful telecommunications-oriented businesses, including ACC Corp., now AT& (NYSE: T), QWEST (NASDAQ: QWST), and MCI WorldCom (NASDAQ: WCOM). The Company currently offers a comprehensive selection of high-speed Internet access, data, local exchange, long distance, and enhanced telecommunications services in the nine-state BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) region. NewSouth Communications offers service in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana with service beginning in Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky in early 2000.

NewSouth Communications is actively expanding its network of Cisco (NYSE: CSCO) ATM NewWorld packet-based data switches and Lucent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: LU) AnyMediaTM 5ESS-2000 switches.

For more information, visit the Company's web site at http://www.newsouth.com or contact Susanne Hite at [e-mail].