Birch Completes Build-Out of Dallas IP Network

Thousands of Birch customers and businesses throughout the Dallas metro area will benefit from the features and flexibility of the Birch IP Network.

Dallas, TX – February 1, 2010 - Birch Communications, a leading IP-based telecom and managed services provider to small and medium-sized businesses, announced today that it has completed the build-out of its IP network in the Dallas, Texas metro area. The Birch IP Network now expands Dallas businesses’ access to high quality features and flexibility as well as customer service not equaled by its competitors.

"Birch has served the Dallas market for well over a decade,” said Tom Stachowiak, vice president of engineering for Birch. “The completion of the Birch IP network in Dallas is a core component of our strategy to convert all of our facility markets to the Birch IP Network.” Birch has already completed the deployment of IP-based networks in other major markets in Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and has begun deployment in Miami.

The Birch IP Network is built with IP technology partners MetaSwitch and Zhone Technologies, recognized as premier, best-in-class IP equipment providers worldwide. “The Birch IP Network provides a comprehensive IP-based solution that seamlessly integrates the operation of telephone and data networks,” noted Chris Aversano, Birch chief operating officer. “Businesses today have high demands for ultra-reliable broadband Internet and telephone service. Our network is built for businesses.”

About Birch Communications
Headquartered in Atlanta GA, Birch Communications is one of the largest competitive telecommunications carriers covering 32-states across the nation. Birch is the first in its class to deploy a private IP-Network utilizing soft switch technology to deliver innovative, high quality, affordable voice and broadband communications services to small and medium business customers. Please visit www.birch.com for more information.

Contact:
Greg Corwin, Marketing Director
greg.corwin@birch.com
816.300.1686

About Metaswitch
MetaSwitch is an industry-leading vendor of switching and applications solutions for both packet and circuit-switched networks. Its MetaSphere applications suite enables a broad set of hosted IP communications services, while its core session control and media/signaling gateway products support a full range of Class 4/5 softswitch capabilities. Customers include many of the world’s leading operators of wireline, wireless and cable networks, with deployments that scale to millions of subscribers. For more information, please visit www.metaswitch.com.

About Zhone Technologies — Access for a Converging World
Zhone Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZHNE) is a global leader in multi-service access network (MSAN) solutions, serving more than 700 of the world's most innovative network operators. The company offers the industry's only fully-integrated portfolio of MSAP, FTTx, EFM and Wi-Fi access technologies, enabling a full suite of services, including residential and business broadband, VoIP, and High-Definition IPTV. Zhone's converged multi-service access platform helps operators rapidly deploy premium services using copper, fiber, and wireless while improving network agility and reducing costs. www.zhone.com.