News Releases

Integra Telecom Closes Acquisition of Electric Lightwave

Company Announces Headquarters and Strategy for Brands

PORTLAND, Ore. - August 1, 2006 - Effective today, Electric Lightwave is a wholly owned subsidiary of Integra Telecom.

The definitive purchase agreement, including the payment of $243 million in cash plus the assumption of $4 million in capital leases, closed on July 31, 2006.

The combined company is one of the largest competitive telecommunications carriers in the West, generating over $300 million in annual revenue from thousands of business customers across its eight state service area, including Arizona, California, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The combined company will be headquartered in Portland and employ approximately 1,000 telecommunications professionals, operating robust metropolitan area fiber networks representing over 2,200 route miles (160,000 fiber miles) as well as a 4,700-mile long-haul fiber network.

"We're positioned to be the premiere provider of competitive telecom and data services for businesses in the Western U.S.," said company CEO Dudley Slater. "We believe that our unique and highly responsive, locally-based customer service model, with our metro-fiber networks will provide our customers with the best of both worlds in terms of products and service built solely to meet the unique needs of businesses."

Branding

The combined company will operate under the Integra Telecom name. Going forward, the Electric Lightwave name will refer only to the company's carrier-to-carrier network services and sales operation.

Former Electric Lightwave Customers to Begin Seeing Integra Telecom Name

The combined company's business customers who have been served by Electric Lightwave will soon be receiving welcome kits from Integra Telecom and will begin seeing the new company brand name on all company communications. Customers' current services and rates will not be affected by this transaction.

"We value the trust our customers place in us and are committed to insuring a seamless integration of the network and operations of the two companies," said Jim Huesgen, chief operating officer of Integra Telecom. "We realize that customers have a choice in their communications providers. We look forward to sharing our enhanced, locally-based service support structure with our new customers, and bringing an expanded suite of high-speed data services to our existing customers."

About Electric Lightwave

Electric Lightwave is one of the most recognized carrier services brands in the country providing communications network services, including transport, internet access and voice services, to telecom carriers in the west. Through Electric Lightwave, carriers gain access to Integra Telecom's 23 metropolitan access networks in eight Western states, nationally acclaimed tier one internet and data network, and high speed long-haul fiber-optic network that interconnects major markets in the West. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Integra Telecom. For more information about Electric Lightwave, please visit www.electriclightwave.com.

About Integra Telecom

Integra Telecom, Inc. is an integrated communications company dedicated to providing a better choice for businesses. The company provides voice, data and Internet communications to thousands of business customers in eight Western states, including Arizona, California, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington. It owns and operates a best-in-class fiber-optic network comprised of eight metropolitan access networks, a nationally acclaimed tier one Internet and data network and a 4,700-mile high-speed long haul network. Integra enjoys some of the highest customer loyalty and customer satisfaction ratings in the telecommunications industry. Primary equity investors in the company include Bank of America Capital Investors, Boston Ventures and Nautic Equity Partners. Integra Telecom and Electric Lightwave are registered trademarks of Integra Telecom Inc. For more information, visit www.integratelecom.com.

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