NEW ORLEANS, Mar 11, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cox Business Services, LLC, an affiliate of Cox Communications, today announced their contract with the New Orleans Public School System to interconnect its 146 school sites with Cox's bundle of voice, video and data through a GIG-E (Gigabit Ethernet) Wide Area Network (WAN) solution.

The deal is valued at $20 million over a three-year period and will allow over 72,000 students and 10,000 educators at 146 locations to benefit from this new high bandwidth Internet, data, video and voice network. Cox Business Services was chosen for its adoption of new Ethernet technologies, ability to respond quickly, and for its upgraded fiber-optic enhanced broadband network. The GIG-E solution will offer educators the ability to use bandwidth intensive learning applications such as live video and software title downloads with ease and speed. The new wide-reaching education network will serve as a model for what is available to local businesses as well.

Dr. Alonzo Luce, CIO, New Orleans Public Schools, said, "Cox was able to come in, listen to what we wanted and quickly come up with a well-priced plan that utilizes their technology to answer our requests. Since they already had so much fiber in our area, Cox could quickly build a network that meets our two main objectives: speed and reliability. With the network in place, we can leverage Cox's K-12 industry knowledge to begin server-based applications, distance learning and desktop-to-desktop video."

Gigabit Ethernet, a transmission technology based on the frame format and protocol used in local area networks (LANs), provides a data rate of 1 billion bits per second (one gigabit). Gigabit Ethernet is currently used as the backbone in many enterprise networks and carried primarily on optical fiber. Existing Ethernet LANs with 10 and 100 Mbps cards can feed into a Gigabit Ethernet backbone.

Cox's broadband network will form the backbone that pulls the school system's various communications elements and applications together forming a truly cohesive, and flexible, communications system. Cox Business Services operates in four of the largest parishes in the State of Louisiana and is now the premiere provider of education technology and communications in the Orleans Parish and St. Bernard Parish Public School Systems.

About Cox Business Services

Cox Business Services is an affiliate of Atlanta-based Cox Communications, Inc., a Fortune 500 company and the nation's fifth largest cable broadband communications company. A full-service, facilities-based provider of telecommunications solutions, Cox Business Services serves home offices; small, medium and large-sized businesses; school districts; and hospitality, government and military properties in cities across the nation. Cox offers high-speed Internet services; switched voice services and long-distance; carrier access services; and dedicated voice, data and video transport. More information about Cox can be accessed on the Internet at www.coxbusiness.com.

CONTACT: Cox Business Services Bobby Amirshahi, 404/843-7872 Mobile: 404/353-7138 bobby.amirshahi@cox.com