MetaSwitch Passes 50th Deployment Milestone

Alameda, CA: June 15, 2004. MetaSwitch, the industry's leading independent vendor of broadband Class 5 softswitch solutions, today announced that it has delivered its 50th switch. The MetaSwitch VP3510 Class 5 Softswitch was installed last week at Progressive Rural Telephone Co-Op, a 6,000-line independent telephone company in Rentz, Georgia.

Progressive Rural Telephone (www.progressivetel.com) selected MetaSwitch's VP3510 Class 5 Softswitch after an in-depth RFP and evaluation process involving 6 vendors. MetaSwitch won the bid based on its support for both tandem and Class 5 switching and the long-term stability that results from being an established, profitable company.

Initially, Progressive will be deploying the MetaSwitch VP3510 as a local tandem switch, resulting in an immediate cost savings for SS7 connectivity that alone justifies the purchase price of the switch. The next phase of the deployment will be in the Class 5 domain as subscribers are migrated to the switch from the company's legacy Siemens DCO switches.

"We selected MetaSwitch for their technical leadership in the Class 5 softswitch space," said Wayne Dixon, General Manager at Progressive Rural Telephone Co-Op. "However, it was just as important for us to work with a company we could trust to be our long-term partner. We see our new softswitch in our network for many years to come - and are pleased to have found a vendor who will be there just as long. With MetaSwitch's growing market success it would seem many other telcos feel the same way."

"MetaSwitch has passed a number of significant milestones recently: the first users' conference, first RUS listing for a VoIP Class 5 switch, and now the 50th deployment," commented Jon Arnold, VoP Equipment Program Leader at Frost & Sullivan. "This success is now translating into MetaSwitch being the leading independent player in the Class 5 softswitch space. Our research shows the global softswitch market is growing rapidly and is set to be worth $1.1bn by 2007."

"This deployment highlights the fact that MetaSwitch can deliver a wide range of applications that directly and immediately impact telephone companies' bottom line - from a tandem switch proxying LNP requests, to exciting new VoIP opportunities," said Mike Ward, MetaSwitch Senior Vice President of Sales. "That flexibility, combined with our corporate stability, is resulting in increasing recognition in the service provider community.".

About MetaSwitch

MetaSwitch is the industry's leading independent broadband Class 5 softswitch vendor. Its widely deployed VP3500 Series Class 5 Softswitch supports over 100 Class 5 features including CLASS services, IP Centrex, E911, LNP, 1-800 and CALEA, and scales from a few hundred to half a million subscribers. Customers include incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers, as well as operators of broadband wireless, cable and fiber networks.

MetaSwitch is a division of established telecom technology provider Data Connection (DCL). The company is consistently profitable and privately held, with US locations in California, Virginia, Texas and Florida, and European headquarters in London, UK.

For more information, see www.metaswitch.com.

Data Connection and MetaSwitch are trademarks of Data Connection Limited and Data Connection Corporation. Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.