JOINT PRESS RELEASE ATIS John Bernhards Phone: 202/434-8850 E-mail: jbernhards@atis.org	USTA Allison Remsen Phone: 202/326-7370 E-mail: aremsen@usta.org

USTA and ATIS Join Forces to Present Technical Education Programs at USTA Convention

USTA Annual Convention- Sept. 29 to Oct 2- to Feature ATIS-Sponsored Committee Presentations

July 25, 2002, Washington, D.C. - The United States Telecom Association (USTA) and the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) today announced that they will join forces to provide technical education programs for communications executives attending the USTA Annual Convention and Exhibition. This joint venture teams two key organizations in the telecom industry as they present a comprehensive technical program for industry representatives attending the USTA Convention.

"The USTA Convention is the premier gathering for telecom executives in the nation and we are delighted that ATIS will bring its technical expertise to the program," said Walter B. McCormick, Jr., president and CEO of USTA. "USTA and ATIS' partnership will highlight crucial technical information for the industry decision-makers attending the USTA Convention. This is a significant joint venture for the industry and we anticipate many informative programs in the future."

"The USTA-ATIS partnership supports the telecommunications industry's need for continuing technical educational programs," said Susan Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. "As the leading developer for communications standards for the U.S. and North America, we want to ensure access to programs that highlight the latest initiatives and challenges our industry continues to face. ATIS looks forward to a valuable partnership with USTA."

The USTA Annual Convention and Exhibition will be held September 29 through October 2, 2002 in Boca Raton, Florida. The program includes a comprehensive policy and regulatory agenda that will address issues related to broadband, universal service and other important topics.

Key industry experts from ATIS-sponsored committees will deliver technical presentations during the Convention on Tuesday, October 1 and Wednesday, October 2, 2002.

Four Technical Programs will be featured at the USTA Convention including:

· The Deployment of VDSL/VoDSL: When, Where & Why - This session will outline the latest industry initiatives to deploy the next generation DSL service, Very High Rate DSL (VDSL), and look at the challenges facing the industry in offering VDSL to the masses.
· Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) over Wireline & Wireless - This session will identify new approaches to capitalize on VoIP services, and the challenges in meeting growing expectations of high voice quality while lowering costs.
· Softswitch & Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) - Highlights of this session include the value-add of new softswitch services, and the expectations that MPLS will assist in addressing the ever-present scaling issues faced by the Internet as it continues to grow.
· Wide Area Ethernet -This session will present both the technology and its promised applications and discuss the impact wide-area Ethernet will have on medium-to-small-sized carriers.

USTA and ATIS plan to announce the technical presenters for educational sessions in the next several weeks. The USTA Annual Convention and Exhibition will be held from September 29-October 2, 2002, at the Boca Raton Resort & Country Club. For the complete schedule of events and to register for the convention, visit www.usta.org.

About USTA

The United States Telecom Association (USTA) is the premier trade association for the converged telecommunications industry serving telecom companies worldwide that provide service or supply the local exchange, long distance, wireless, Internet and cable industries. For more information, find USTA online at www.usta.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. More than 400 telecommunications companies participate in ATIS' 20 committees, forums, and Incubator Solutions programs. ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit the ATIS web site at www.atis.org.

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