For Immediate Release
1200 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20005 202/628-6380 202/393-5453 (fax)	Contact: John Bernhards Director of Public Relations Phone: 202/434-8850 E-mail: jbernhards@atis.org

James L. Eitel, of ATIS' Standards Committee T1, Receives the ANSI 2001 Meritorious Service Award

August 27, 2001 Washington, D.C. - The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) announced today that James L. Eitel has received the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 2001 Meritorious Service Award in recognition for his work with ATIS-sponsored Committee T1. Eitel has been involved with Committee T1 since its inception in 1983, and has made significant contributions to the standards development process.

Eitel serves as Director of Network Standards and Network Technical Regulatory Interrogatories at Qwest, and is an elected representative to Committee T1's Advisory Group (T1AG), and Chairman of the T1AG Bylaws and Procedures Standing Committee.

The Meritorious Service Award is presented to individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to voluntary standardization and for outstanding service. Eitel was one of eight executives to receive this award. ANSI will honor the distinguished award recipients at a reception on Tuesday, October 9, 2001 at 6:00 P.M., at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C. The awards ceremony is being held in conjunction with other ANSI events to celebrate World Standards Week.

"In receiving this award, Jim is being commended for his distinguished service, expertise, and commitment to the international standards community," said Susan Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. "Jim's achievements truly merit this recognition, especially since his contributions to the development of procedures for Committee T1 have withstood the test of time."

Ray Hapeman, Committee T1 Chairman, commented, "Jim's many contributions, including the development of procedures for Committee T1's voluntary standards and his involvement in the Committee's management have proved to be invaluable. This is a very well-deserved recognition for Jim."

World Standards Week is a celebration of the voluntary consensus standards system. This year's theme, "Priority 2001: Global Standards - Global Trade," is scheduled for the week of October 8-12, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

About Standards Committee T1

Standards Committee T1 develops American National Standards, technical reports, technical requirements, and specifications for telecommunications services, network interconnection, interoperability, and performance. Committee T1 provides technical input to the United States Department of State supporting U.S. participation in international standards bodies. More than 1,500 telecommunications engineers and technologists bring their expertise to Committee T1's six technical subcommittees. Committee T1 is a founding member of the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) group of regional standards development organizations and works closely with the FCC on network reliability issues. Committee T1 is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). More information is available via the Committee T1 Web site at www.t1.org.

About ATIS

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) is a member company organization that is the leader for standards and operating procedures for the telecommunications industry. Nearly 3,000 experts from more than 500 telecommunications companies participate in ATIS committees, whose work focus includes network interconnection standards, number portability, improved data transmission, wireless communications, Internet telephony, toll-free access, and order and billing issues. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) frequently refers operations issues to ATIS committees for recommended solutions. Members of ATIS and committee participants include, but are not limited to, telecommunications service providers, manufacturers, software developers, resellers, enhanced service providers, and providers of operations support. For more information, visit the ATIS web site www.atis.org.