Ascent Data Subsidiary Awarded Gallatin Gateway Broadband Project In Montana

Broadband Project Will Improve Life Safety, Educational, Public Service, Business and Residential Telecommunications Services in Gallatin County, Montana

Pittsburgh, PA, August 4, 2010

Ascent Data announced today that the Gallatin Gateway Broadband Project, a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) infrastructure development project of Ascent Data subsidiary, Montana Opticom, has qualified for $64,127,332 of funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. When completed, the Gallatin Gateway Broadband Project will provide affordable and reliable high-speed data, voice, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) to 11,864 households and businesses, and 58 critical community facilities in communities and rural areas within Gallatin County, Montana.

Ascent Data will provide implementation, management, and data center services from its facilities in western Pennsylvania and southwestern Montana in support of the Broadband project.

Montana Opticom expects to create over 60 direct jobs. These jobs include Montana Opticom adding 10 fulltime positions to assist in the build out and operation of the proposed network. During construction an estimated 32 independent contractors and 19 engineers and numerous support staff will be required to assist in the build out.

Based on the reporting requirements of the President's Council of Economic Advisers job estimate, the Gallatin Gateway Broadband Project will create 697 job-years. Of the 697 job years created, 446 job-years represent direct and indirect effects and 251 of the job-years are induced effects.

"I am so glad this broadband funding is coming to Montana," said Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus, who worked to secure the funding.  "Projects like this are critically important for folks in our state to connect with each other, improve education opportunities for our students, and to grow and market small businesses at home and around the globe. This is such good news."

"Affordable and accessible broadband service is critical to economic growth in Montana," said Governor Brian Schweitzer. "These funds will help a Montana business provide educational and economic opportunities in rural parts of our state."

The Gallatin Gateway Broadband Project will provide end-to-end infrastructure to support the provision of new high-speed broadband services to the rural communities designated as the Census County Divisions of Bozeman, Gallatin Gateway, Belgrade, Manhattan, and a portion of West Yellowstone. The planned broadband expansion project will enable these rural communities to access the same or better broadband services and digital content available to residents in more urban areas of the U.S.

The high speed broadband services provided by this project will accelerate economic development in rural Montana, provide connectivity to life saving communications and technologies, improve educational, critical community and public safety service offerings, and enhance the quality of life to Montana residents and visitors.

About Ascent Data
Ascent Data provides data center collocation, managed hosting, maintenance, network, business continuity and consulting solutions to clients from its secure, state-of-the-art SSAE 16 Type II Certified data center in Pittsburgh, PA. The company provides its services to corporate middle market, Fortune 1000 and private enterprises, as well as emerging entrepreneurial start-ups. Ascent's combination of technology innovation, close customer focus and relentless attention to detail provide clients with customized service and technology solutions. For more information, please go to: www.ascentdata.com.

About Montana Opticom
Montana Opticom, LLC, a telecommunications provider located in Gallatin Gateway, Montana, launched the first fiber optic communications system in Big Sky, Montana in 2005. Throughout the Big Sky region, Montana Opticom provides exceptional residential and business communication—high-speed internet, local and long-distance telephone service, standard video and high-definition television—leading edge infrastructure and technology for southwestern Montana. For more, visit: www.mt-opticom.com.