Dearborn Car Company Selects Broadwing

    CINCINNATI--May 30, 2002--The integrated communications leader, Broadwing Inc. , today announced that Ford Motor Company has selected Broadwing as a service provider for Ford dealerships nationwide. Broadwing is providing Ford with a customized CPE-based Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) and is offering secure IP services for its Ford and Lincoln/Mercury dealerships via a Dealer Partner Business Solutions program.
    Ford Motor Company is utilizing Broadwing's industry-first, all-optical switched network to support a wide array of dealer applications and information exchange. In addition, Broadwing, via its Broadwing Technology Solutions (BTS), is offering fully managed, end-to-end services including systems installation, consulting services, operational outsourcing, application integration and managed services for dealerships.
    "Ford, a worldwide leader in applying technology to gain a competitive advantage, recognized that Broadwing had the capabilities and customer focus to provide a wide range of critical services," said Jack Chidester, president of Business Markets. "In a recent pilot project with Ford dealers Broadwing provided a solution that demonstrated the scalability, flexibility, reliability and low latency inherent in the Broadwing network."
    Broadwing's CPE-based IP VPN gives customers a single Internet-centric networking platform that simplifies customers' corporate infrastructures while providing secure access for remote users. CPE-based IP VPN provides scalable network connectivity, consolidation of customer network services onto a single, fully meshed infrastructure, IP convergence, and integrated dedicated and dial connectivity.

    About Broadwing

    Broadwing Inc. is an integrated communications company. Broadwing leads the industry as the world's first intelligent, all-optical, switched network provider and offers businesses nationwide a competitive advantage by providing data, voice and Internet solutions that are flexible, reliable and innovative on its 18,500-mile optical network and its award-winning IP backbone. Local service subsidiary Cincinnati Bell is one of the nations most respected and best performing local exchange and wireless providers with a legacy of unparalleled customer service excellence and financial strength. Cincinnati Bell was recently ranked number one in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates for both local residential telephone service and residential long distance among mainstream users. Cincinnati Bell provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services to residential and business customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Broadwing Inc. is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.broadwing.com.