Call-Net (Sprint Canada) to trial new broadband wireless Internet technology with new venture

Call-Net (Sprint Canada) to trial new broadband wireless Internet
technology with new venture 


TORONTO, May 18  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sprint Canada Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of Call-Net Enterprises Inc. and Canada's leading national
competitive telecommunications company providing wireline service to both
households and businesses, and the venture between Inukshuk Internet Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications Inc., Allstream Inc.
and NR Communications, LLC, today announced a service trial of the venture's
broadband wireless network.

Sprint Canada intends to evaluate the broadband wireless access (BWA) service
to determine if, and under what conditions, it could be used for broadband
access to households to support primary line voice and Internet services. The
trial will take place over the next several months in north Toronto.

"We view this access service as a potential alternative to existing technology,
rather than an entirely new service," said Duncan McEwan, president and chief
operating officer, Sprint Canada. "It has the potential to reduce our reliance
on the incumbent local exchange carriers for last mile access and it may also
make entry to less densely populated areas of the country more economical, thus
allowing more Canadians to benefit from competition in the home phone and local
business phone service market."

The venture's BWA network uses a wireless IP technology platform, provided by
NextNet(R) Wireless, that is a reliable and proven system based on
non-line-of-sight technology. This system offers a true plug-and-play set up,
with reliability, portability and competitive pricing. Installation of the
portable Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) does not require an external antenna
or a service provider truck roll. The CPE can be moved as easily as a laptop
computer to function almost anywhere within the network footprint. The core
underlying technology will also allow the venture to integrate voice over IP
(VoIP) and local network services in mid-2004.

"On behalf of the venture partners, we are very pleased that Sprint Canada has
chosen to trial our wireless technology platform," said Ron McKenzie, senior
vice president, strategy and corporate development, Allstream. "Today's
announcement demonstrates the venture's ongoing momentum. It is another
significant step towards our collective goal of providing Canadians with more
choice for high-speed Internet and local telephony access services."

Inukshuk, as the spectrum licensee, operates the MCS network providing
wholesale BWA services. The new network operates across Inukshuk's licensed MCS
spectrum, thereby offering customers the security, reliability and
predictability of wireless systems that are able to use exclusively licensed
spectrum bands.

About Call-Net and Sprint Canada

Call-Net Enterprises Inc., (TSX: FON, FON.B) owner of Sprint Canada Inc., is a
leading Canadian integrated communications solutions provider of local and long
distance voice services as well as data and IP services to households and
businesses across Canada. Call-Net, headquartered in Toronto, owns and operates
an extensive national fibre network, has over 134 co-locations in five major
urban areas including 25 municipalities, and maintains network facilities in
the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit
http://www.callnet.ca/ and http://www.sprint.ca/.

About the Venture

In November 2003, Allstream Inc., Inukshuk Internet Inc., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications Inc., and NR Communications, LLC
joined forces to build a Multipoint Communications System (MCS) network to
offer high speed Internet, IP-based voice and local networking services to
selected markets across Canada using broadband wireless access (BWA)
technology. On March 4, 2004 the venture launched its new BWA network in
Richmond, British Columbia, offering a high-speed connectivity alternative to
users. Inukshuk Internet was granted licences from Industry Canada for
Multipoint Communications Services (MCS) spectrum in the 2500 to 2596 MHz
frequency band, to build a unique, "last mile" broadband wireless access
network. The licences cover a population of some 30 million people, comprising
all the provinces and territories of Canada, with the exception of Manitoba and
Saskatchewan.

NextNet is a registered trademark of NextNet Wireless, Inc. 

DATASOURCE: Allstream Inc.



CONTACT: Media: Karen O'Leary, Sprint Canada,

[phone], ; Claire Fiset, Microcell,

[phone], ; May Chong, Allstream,

[phone],  ; Investors: Brock Robertson,

Allstream, [phone], ; Thane Fotopoulos,

Microcell, [phone], ext. 8317, 

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