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January 2006

Inside this issue: VoIP Internet Telephone - Coming Soon, Customer Service - Yes it's true, New Website - Up and Running, Citynet Wholesale - Growing every day, Our most important tool - Our People

VoIP - Internet Telephone

In last month's newsletter, we stated that our new residential Internet Telephone service will be introduced in early 2006. So that you can better understand this exciting new product and how to make it work for you, here are some important things to remember about VoIP/Internet Telephone.

The FCC has prepared a nice graphic presentation on how Internet Telephony actually works. Go to www.fcc.gov/voip/ and take a look at this information on one of the newest products in the telecommunications industry. You notice that you must have a broadband connection to the internet. Dial-up is too slow. Once you have a broadband connection, you must establish an account with a VoIP provider, such as Citynet. At under $30.00 per month, our service is competitive with other providers and offers all the same features you've been accustomed to receiving on your normal phone line.

To make a call, you simply dial via your computer or directly from your normal telephone (via our Citynet provided telephone adapter). Of course, your broadband connection must remain on and working. As you will see in the FCC diagram, your call enters the internet via your broadband modem/router and travels the internet to the person that you've called. If they have a broadband connection, the call is connected. If they do not have a broadband connection, your call is routed to the nearest telephone company switch, which then connects your call.

With Citynet Internet Telephone service you will have unlimited local and long distance calling and features allowing you to sign up and control your own account online. You'll be able to check your voice mail messages like you currently do, or get them online or via your email. It can't be any easier to use! We are in the testing phase now checking to make certain that when you sign up, you can rest assured that the Citynet Internet Telephone Service is fully reliable.

Residential service will be ready soon with small businesses coming in the near future. For more information, call us at 800.881.2638.

Citynet Customer Service

It sure seems today that when you need help - you can never speak to a human. We get trapped in "automated attendant" circles, never to reappear again. Frustration, anger, and disgust are the modern feelings of most of us when it comes to dealing with any customer service organization. And if that isn't bad enough, when we finally reach "a real person" they obviously "aren't from here" or are poorly trained.

Well that is not the case at Citynet! Here we pride ourselves on offering customer service that we would expect for ourselves. A real person, trained and ready to answer your questions at any time - on any day - 365 days a year. Someone you are comfortable speaking with. At Citynet that is exactly what you get. When you need help with your account or any of our many products and services, you dial our Customer Care Center. One of our many highly skilled and well trained representatives will actually answer the phone (imagine that) and help you.

"We want to provide the best customer service that is humanly possible to give, so that our customers know that Citynet cares about them and respects the fact that they are doing business with us" said Oscar Rivera, Call Center manager. "We do what we can to help all our customers, residential and business. We do our best to answer their questions as quickly as possible. If necessary, we even call them back to ensure that we've done all we can to help." Citynet, your high technology company with old fashioned ideas on customer service!

Citynet's New Website

The new Citynet website is up! New look, new features, easier to use, more interactive! All that with the ability to accomplish your tasks in much the same fashion as our old site - just better!

If you want to sign in and manage your account it is the first thing you'll see. You can't ask for a more convenient feature than that. Want to get your email while traveling? No problem, just click on webmail located under the Account Manager heading. If you are interested in any aspect of Citynet, you'll find it just a click away and we don't hide our telephone numbers. They are right there for you! If you prefer, you can always reach us via email. Click on Contact Us and you find a handy form or the email addresses of our more important departments.

On our new website, you'll find information on our products and services, our ever growing network, and interactive, rotating Frequently Asked Questions. Visit us at www.citynet.net and take a look for yourself.

Citynet Wholesale

Citynet Wholesale is completing strategic network construction in the first quarter of 2006, adding new markets, both for our long-haul and local services. New markets in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia have been targeted for potential expansion this year, bringing Citynet's coverage in those states to an unprecedented level. Final plans are underway for Citynet Wholesale to exhibit and present at the upcoming CompTel trade show in San Diego. The Spring 2006 Convention & Expo is the premier show for the competitive telecommunications industry and will feature the leading competitive service providers and vendors who are delivering next-generation voice, data and video services to businesses and consumers in the U.S. and around the world.

Our People

The Citynet people are the backbone of our growing and customer focused company. This month meet two more.

Frank Quinlan, Manager - Field Operations, Wholesale Operations.
Frank has more than 22 years in the telecommunications industry. He has held management positions with WilTel Communications, WorldCom, Lightnet and U.S. Sprint. His experience is wide and varied including transport and multiplex equipment from DS0 to OC192 level, inside and outside plant construction and maintenance, POP support equipment, built and Managed Network Control Centers and remote testing centers. He also held the responsibility for the technical development, management and training of 61 technicians and 7 supervisors in a network control center environment that was responsible for a 32 thousand mile network. At Citynet, Frank has overall responsibility for developing the field operations team and maintaining the operational integrity of the Citynet POP's and network equipment.

frank.quinlan@citynet.net

Don Molter, Vice President - Corporate Relations, Citynet Administration.
After a nearly 20 year career at Verizon where he held many management positions and most recently was senior Area Manager with responsibility for external affairs and government relations for all of Northern West Virginia, Don joined Citynet in the Spring of 2005. Don's industry experiences include Directory operations, new product development, Operator Services - Call Completion, corporate identity, local community activities, economic development, media relations, and customer escalation. At Citynet, Don's current responsibilities include external corporate relations; media affairs; community affairs; local, state and national elected official communications; competitive company communication; regulatory affairs, and corporate policy.

don.molter@citynet.net