June 19, 1995

NYNEX CONTACT: Media Relations, (212) 395-0500

New York Number Portability Trial Task Force Selects Vendor

NEW YORK -- The New York Number Portability Trial Task Force, comprising AT&T, Cellular One-Genessee Telephone, LOCATE, MCI, MFS Intelenet, Inc., NYNEX, Rochester Telephone Corp., Sprint Communications, Teleport Communications Group and Time Warner Communications, has selected MCImetro and U.S. Intelco/Stratus to conduct a feasibility study focused on trialing their hardware and software number portability solutions in the State of New York. Local number portability allows customers to retain their local telephone numbers when changing local telephone service providers.

The task force selected MCImetro as the platform provider in Manhattan, and U.S. Intelco/Stratus was chosen to provide a platform which will be used in the Rochester market area. The MCImetro platform relies on software that uses a three-digit Carrier Portability Code (CPC) to send routing instructions through the telephone network. When a call is made, the dialed digits are sent to the local number portability database where the CPC is substituted in place of the area code to indicate the called party's local telephone company. The U.S. Intelco/Stratus solution, which is called "Local Area Number Portability," enables portability by decoupling user-dialable telephone numbers from network routing addresses.

The trials in both markets will take advantage of Signaling System 7 (SS7) and intelligent network components of participating Local Exchange Carrier and Interexchange Carrier networks. The selected vendors and the task force are assessing the network cost of deploying the platforms and expect a New York Public Service Commission Order to proceed with these trials in August. If ordered, the trials will be conducted over a six-month period, beginning on or about Feb. 1, 1996, with phases including a live traffic phase. The vendors selected will be providing their database platforms for the duration of the trial free of charge and will be responsible for coordinating all trial preparation activities with participating companies.

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