Transaction Brings Together Two Industry Leaders with a Unique Combination of Assets, Expertise and Capabilities Offering Significant Benefits to Wholesale and Enterprise Customers

Springfield, Ill. – October 13, 2010 – Associated Network Partners, Inc., and Zone Telecom, Inc., have signed a definitive agreement to merge. Under terms of the agreement, both companies will contribute 100 percent of their shares and assets to a new holding company. ANPI and Zone will each own 50 percent of the new entity, and will continue providing service under both current business names, while leveraging synergies and respective strengths to further advance the business objectives of customers.

Pending shareholder, federal and state regulatory approvals, the transaction will bring together two businesses which had combined annual sales of approximately $180 million in 2009, and is expected to produce levels of financial performance sufficient to underwrite ongoing network expansion, infrastructure investments, new product development and distribution. The merged organization will utilize an extensive network with OC-3 to OC-192 connectivity, and a recently completed state-of-the-art network operations center staffed 24/7, to serve 1,300 enterprise customers and nearly 800 wholesale customers in the independent local exchange carrier (ILEC), competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) and interexchange carrier (IXC) markets.

“Obviously we’re very excited about what this merger means for our companies,” says Dave Lewis, President and CEO of ANPI who will assume the role of CEO of the new company. “The telecommunications marketplace is undergoing fundamental change, and that change is ushering in both tremendous opportunities as well as numerous challenges. We firmly believe that the merger stages the new company to assume a leadership position in the markets we serve, allowing us to aggressively realize the opportunities present while effectively managing the challenges the unfolding environment will inevitably present.”

“The more I talked to Dave Lewis, the more I realized this merger was too compelling not to do,” said Dan Boynton, CEO and President of Zone Telecom who will continue as President of the new company. “The combination of personnel, entrepreneurial vision, engineering talent, network and infrastructure positions the new company to be a leader in both the wholesale and enterprise sectors.”

Benefits of the Transaction:

• Increased Capabilities: The merger creates a company with greater scale, scope and diversification, assembling a deeper set of capabilities from which to extend products and services into complementary markets and geographies.
• Synergies: The marriage of network, infrastructure and systems increases operational efficiencies and eliminates duplicative systems and functions, rendering a materially more efficient operation in-step with the unfolding demands of today’s telecom marketplace.
• Customer Benefits: The merger creates an organization with extensive network, deeper capabilities, and greater disciplinary depth. The new company will have the scale and capital base to provide a more diverse product suite and product integration capabilities.
• Strong Platform for Continued Growth: The new company expects to generate enough EBITDA and free cash flow to invest in new technologies and product development, expand sales and marketing efforts as well as pursue additional accretive acquisitions.

The new company will have a board comprised of six directors with three delegates from each shareholding body. Dave Lewis, President and CEO of ANPI, will become CEO of the new company. Dan Boynton, President and CEO of Zone Telecom will become President.

Both are expecting a seamless transition. “Customers will continue to deal with their current ANPI and Zone contacts,” says Lewis. “The new company will be a more powerful and capable vendor and business partner, and we’re dedicated to ensuring that customers receive an even greater level of attention and service than they’ve historically enjoyed.”

In addition to the corporate headquarters in Springfield, Ill., and network operations center in Dallas, the new company will have regional operations, sales and support offices in Los Angeles, Cherry Hill, N.J., and Mount Pleasant, Utah. The merger is subject to approval by ANPI and Zone Telecom shareholders, as well as federal and state regulatory approvals.

About ANPI

Associated Network Partners, Inc. is a leading provider of voice and ISP-related telecommunications services nationwide. In 1996, several independent telephone companies formed the organization to diversify their businesses and combine their resources to more efficiently negotiate long distance rates and provide more competitive long distance prices to their respective communities. Today ANPI is one of the largest and most successful companies of its kind, offering a wide range of communications products and services to independent LECs, cooperatives, CLECs and wireless carriers across the United States. For more information, visit: www.anpisolutions.com.

About Zone

Zone Telecom, Inc. is a leading provider of high quality voice, data and voice over IP products to enterprise businesses, ILECs and wholesale customers nationwide. The company employs a multi-carrier, network-neutral approach and skilled professionals who develop unique telecom solutions and provide superior customer service and support. For more information, visit: www.zonetelecom.com

Media Contact:

Eamon Egan
Chief Financial Officer
Zone Telecom, Inc.
eegan@zonetelecom.com
(856)414-6904