News Release

ALLTEL and Cisco Team to Offer Advanced End-to-End Networking Solutions

With Cisco-Powered Network, ALLTEL Offers Customers Reliable, Secure and High-Performance Broadband Internet Services
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Jan 16, 1998

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - January 16, 1998 - ALLTEL, a leading information technology company, today announced that it is working together with Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, to offer advanced, end-to-end networking solutions.

With a Cisco Powered Network, ALLTEL offers customers reliable, secure and high-performance Internet services. The relationship highlights ALLTEL's and Cisco's focus on using intelligent broadband IP, Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networking to deliver enhanced connectivity and network-based applications to ALLTEL's customers.

ALLTEL's participation in the program is a new positioning and awareness initiative developed to reinforce the quality and security of the company's end-to-end networks and differentiate the value of the company's service offerings.

"Cisco shares our belief that the IP network is the foundation for delivering intelligent business solutions, providing our customers with strategic competitive advantages," said Rick Woodham, director of Internet services for ALLTEL. "By working with Cisco Systems, we can reassure our customers that the Internet services we offer lead the industry in reliability, performance and innovation."

The Cisco Powered Network program was developed to reinforce the value of Cisco equipment for service providers such as ALLTEL. The Cisco brand will convey to customers that in addition to the outstanding wide-area network and value-added network management provided by ALLTEL, the hardware elements of the company's solution bear a strong name and technical reputation.

The deployment of Cisco hardware and software allows ALLTEL to provide the most reliable and efficient access to both consumers and businesses. Cisco dial-access routers will give consumers faster access with less congestion to the Internet. For dedicated access customers, it means fewer bottlenecks in getting the business on-line.

"Cisco's high-performance, reliable networking solutions enable service providers to offer consistent services," said Don Listwin, senior vice president of Cisco's Service Provider Line of Business. "ALLTEL's relationship with Cisco will enable ALLTEL's customers to be confident that their service provider will deliver a high level of network interoperability and performance, as well as new, advanced, and differentiated services."

The Cisco Powered Network designation acknowledges ALLTEL's ability to provide innovative services and increase customer confidence in the performance and reliability of its services.

About ALLTEL

ALLTEL Corporation is a customer-focused, information technology company that provides wireline and wireless communications and information services. ALLTEL, NYSE: at http://www.alltel.com

Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet. News and information areavailable athttp://www.cisco.com.

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