SAN JOSE, Calif., April 6, 2004 - US Signal today announced its deployment of the Cisco ONS 15600 Multiservice Switching Platform (MSSP) to aggregate multiple OC-192 rings in its optical network operating in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The Cisco ONS 15600 will help enable US Signal to efficiently scale and manage its growing network core and to redirect capital expenditures that can now be targeted to expand its network.

Installing Cisco ONS 15600 MSSPs at key network junctions helps US Signal to efficiently aggregate traffic in its OC-192 backbone network. The Cisco ONS 15600 has the industry's highest port density for OC-192 supporting equipment, helping to enable scalability of multiple networks without increasing floor space and power needs. By inserting the ONS 15600 into hub locations of its network, US Signal is able to redeploy existing ONS 15454s from hub locations to new service opportunities at the network edge.

In addition, US Signal was able to bring its cost-per-port down substantially, decrease its time to provision new circuits for customers while realizing an increased return on its investment. "The operational and capital reductions we are realizing by using the Cisco ONS 15600 are very attractive," said Barry Raterink, president of US Signal.

"The Cisco ONS 15600 is interoperable with our existing Cisco ONS 15454 Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR), as well as our Bidirectional Line Switched Ring (BLSR) architectures. Now we are able to redeploy our Cisco ONS 15454s closer to our customers to more efficiently meet their needs."

Because of commonalities between the Cisco ONS 15600 and the Cisco ONS 15454, technicians are able to quickly learn to turn up and provision the Cisco ONS 15600 when it is added to the network. "The Cisco ONS 15600 provides a simplified network architecture, increased reliability and faster provisioning times," Raterink added.

For more information on all of Cisco's optical networking solutions, please visit: http://www.cisco/go/optical.

About US Signal

US Signal (www.ussignalcom.com) is a full-service fiber optic solutions provider, offering a wide range of telecommunications solutions to wholesale and enterprise customers and channel partners in the Midwest. The Company has built and developed one of the most comprehensive fiber optic networks in the Midwest. As a full-service solutions provider, US Signal offers unlimited high-speed capacity, Internet access, dark fiber and collocation services, and also works with customers to design and build new network construction projects.