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Allstream Increases Data Networking Capabilities with Data Ethernet Serving Area Expansion

Posted on: Monday, 27 October 2003, 06:00 CST

TORONTO, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allstream (TSX: ALR.A, ALR.B; NASDAQ: ALLSA, ALLSB), formerly AT&T Canada, a leading communication solutions provider with a world-class portfolio of Connectivity, Infrastructure Management and IT Services, today announced it has significantly increased the reach of its Ethernet services across Canada. Through its Transparent LAN Service (TLS), customers now can get Ethernet access to the Allstream network from more than 300,000 business locations in more than 150 communities across Canada.

By entering into interconnection agreements with other service providers to leverage their existing infrastructures, Allstream is now able to provide customers with broader coverage, offering simple Ethernet interfaces to support data networking across metropolitan area and wide-area networks.

"By expanding our Ethernet service from hundreds of locations to hundreds of thousands of locations, Allstream can provide customers with scalable, cost-effective and secure connectivity options that meet their data networking needs," said Mike Kologinski, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Allstream. "Customers like the simplicity of Ethernet networking and this expansion means we can offer an affordable option for many businesses across Canada. We continue to see strong demand for Ethernet services. This expansion is an important step in furthering Allstream's commitment to grow our Data and Internet Connectivity portfolios."

"With the Transparent LAN Service connectivity solution provided by Allstream, we have been successfully sending voice calls over our data network since July 2003," said Robyn Mercer, Telecommunications Team Lead, Best Buy Canada Ltd. "This is a major milestone for our Company, and the quality of service is excellent. Allstream has been very instrumental in making this a success for us."

Features of Allstream's TLS include:

- Support of customers' connectivity needs with one of the largest

national 0C192 optical switching networks. With more than 18,800 route

kilometers of fibre optic cable stretching nationally, Allstream's

extensive network footprint incorporates highly engineered, fault

tolerant switching technologies to provide robust and reliable data

communication solutions;

- Fast throughput, as bandwidth is scalable and pre-determined and

guaranteed to ensure customers have the capacity to carry traffic at

LAN speeds;

- Access options, available via SHDSL (Symmetrical High Bit Rate Digital

Subscriber Line) and ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line)

access types, combined with traditional fibre, provide cost-effective,

high bandwidth solutions for locations of all sizes;

- Network interoperability, allowing customers to inter-connect with

other Allstream data services;

- Greater flexibility and more options due to increased service and

areas and price points; and

- 24/7 service and maintenance.

As part of this expansion, Allstream plans to include Ethernet connectivity with its industry leading business IP-enabled Data Network services, offering customers converged IP networking with simple, cost- effective Ethernet access.

With a broad range of Data Network services, Service Interworking capabilities, IP enabled solutions and national network infrastructure, Allstream provides customers with customized data connectivity solutions based on their unique requirements. Allstream understands the importance of connectivity to businesses.

For more information about Allstream's Data Network services, including TLS, please contact 1-877-288-7253 or visit our website at http://www.allstream.com/.

About Allstream

Allstream is a leading communication solutions provider with a world- class portfolio of Connectivity, Infrastructure Management and IT Services. Allstream collaborates with customers to create tailored business solutions that meet their unique needs and help them compete more effectively. Spanning more than 18,800 kilometres, Allstream has an extensive broadband fibre-optic network and the greatest reach of any competitive carrier in Canada, and provides international connections through strategic partnerships and interconnection agreements with other international service providers. Allstream has approximately 4,000 employees and is a public company with its stock traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols ALR.A and ALR.B, and on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbols ALLSA and ALLSB. Visit Allstream's website, http://www.allstream.com/ for more information about the company.

Note to Investors

This news release includes statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provisions contained in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what the Company currently foresees. Discussion of the various factors that may affect future results is contained on page 1 of the Company's Annual Information Form dated May 2, 2003, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission, and SEDAR.

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