PRIMUS Canada's TalkBroadband(TM) for business cuts 25 - 75% off the cost of local and long distance calling for small and medium-sized businesses - New small business survey shows that more than two-thirds of Canadian managers are likely to switch to VoIP service to obtain these savings - TalkBroadband delivers more advanced features to small and medium-sized businesses than ever before, and makes them easy to manage.

TORONTO, Jun 14, 2004 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- PRIMUS Telecommunications Canada Inc. (PRIMUS Canada) today introduced TalkBroadband(TM) Internet phone service for small and medium-sized businesses, delivering savings of 25 - 75 percent over traditional phone service.

PRIMUS Canada, the wholly-owned subsidiary of McLean, Virginia-based PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated, a global telecommunications services provider offering an integrated portfolio of voice, data, Internet, and Web hosting services, is offering the service immediately in 15 major centres across the country, from Halifax to Victoria.

"TalkBroadband for business is the first national alternative to traditional phone service for Canadian small and medium-sized businesses," says Ted Chislett, president, PRIMUS Canada. "The wait is over for business owners and managers who want the significant savings, advanced features and simplicity that TalkBroadband offers."

According to an Environics Research Group survey released today, Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are ready for Voice over Internet (VoIP) phone service and the benefits it delivers. The national survey found that 69 percent of managers at small and medium-sized businesses would be very or somewhat likely to switch to Voice over Internet technology if it offered a 25 percent cost savings compared with their current provider. The benefits of VoIP come at a time when 59 percent of managers believe that business telecom prices need to be improved.

Starting at just $27.95 a month per line, TalkBroadband for business uses leading edge VoIP technology to transform high-speed Internet service into a local telephone connection simply, reliably and securely.

The service can support multi-line businesses with multiple or single location offices, or SOHO businesses with just one or two lines. No up-front investment in equipment is required: TalkBroadband service is compatible with a customer's existing telephones and telephone equipment.

Any business with high-speed Internet - no matter where they are located - can take advantage of TalkBroadband by selecting an area code and number from one of the local calling areas available. For example, businesses in Winnipeg can select a Toronto (416) area code and number, ensuring that calls to and from Toronto are not subject to long distance charges and giving them a virtual presence in the Toronto market.

Easy and Seamless Integration With PBX and Key Systems

For customers with PBX or Key Systems, installation and integration with TalkBroadband is easy and seamless. This can be arranged with the customer's current supplier or through PRIMUS Canada's national network of Interconnect companies and system integrators. PRIMUS Canada announces the creation of a VoIP Alliance program for Interconnects and System Integrators. Those Interconnect companies or system integrators who wish to join this Voice over Internet Interconnect Alliance are encouraged to contact PRIMUS Canada at www.talkbroadband.ca/Interconnect.

Commercial TalkBroadband Benefits and Features

• TalkBroadband offers free long distance calling between PRIMUS Canada
  
  
• TalkBroadband customers on their Broadband Voice service, meaning that all calls between a business's offices, suppliers and customers could potentially be free of charge.
  
  
• Customers can select the area code of their choice, from one of the 15 TalkBroadband calling areas, to create virtual offices in other cities and reduce their overall long distance calling charges.
  
  
• Businesses with an expansive geographic reach will experience significant savings by deploying TalkBroadband in each of their locations, thereby eliminating internal company long distance calls.
  
  
• Customers can keep their existing telephone numbers or add new ones.
  
  
• Traveling employees can plug the PRIMUS Voice Gateway into any high-speed network, allowing them to place calls from anywhere around the globe at low TalkBroadband long distance rates, as if they were at the office.
  
  
• A full selection of standard office features is available as well as advanced features such as 5-way Conferencing and Line Hunting.
  
  
• An optional Web Portal allows for convenient management of calling features that are not available on traditional phone services such as Click to Play Voicemail, Find Me / Follow Me, and call logs displaying inbound, outbound and missed calls.
  
  
• TalkBroadband customers can select two alternative numbers per line from different area codes for a small additional monthly charge, providing the customer a local presence in other areas of the country.
  
  
• PRIMUS Canada provides a TalkBroadband Voice Gateway box that connects easily to a regular phone or office system and the subscriber's existing high-speed Internet modem.
  
  
• Customers can surf the Internet while talking on the phone.

Commercial TalkBroadband Packages and Pricing

• TalkBroadband Pro, priced at $27.95 per month, includes one local line, call hold, a White Pages directory listing and access to 411 service, 911 emergency service and free long distance from TalkBroadband to TalkBroadband customers.
  
  
• TalkBroadband Enterprise, priced at $29.95 per month, includes the above features plus more than a dozen additional features including 5-way Conferencing, Visual Call Waiting and Line Hunting along with the ability to restrict long distance and other calling on individual lines.

Available in 15 Major Markets

PRIMUS TalkBroadband for business is available in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax and the Ontario cities of London, Kitchener-Waterloo, St. Catharines and the Cooksville area of Mississauga.

Telecom Survey Highlights

In addition to the results noted above, the Environics survey found that:

• 44 percent of small and medium-sized business managers believe they have little choice but to accept the telephone service supplier they're currently with.
  
  
• 80 percent believe most telephone service providers offer the same sort of packages and systems, with little differentiation.
  
  
• 81 percent agree that competition in local business telephone service will be good for companies like theirs.
  
  
• 62 percent believe it is important that their business appears as if it is located in the same community as their clients rather than appearing as from another area.

Telecom Survey Methodology

Environics Research Group conducted the small to medium-sized business telecom survey of 300 Canadian business managers during May and June 2004. Results are considered accurate to within +/-5.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Further survey details and regional breakouts are available.

911 Service and TalkBroadband

As with regular telephone service, emergency 911 calling is accessible only for the fixed location where the service is registered. The TalkBroadband local service customer must choose a phone number within the telephone exchange (area code and first 3 digits) associated with his or her service location. 911 calling is not accessible when the customer uses the TalkBroadband service away from their registered service location, nor is it available when a customer chooses a phone number outside of the exchange associated with their service location.

About PRIMUS Canada

For more information on PRIMUS Telecommunications Canada Inc. and PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, please go to http://www.primustel.ca/en/about/press.html
VIEW ADDITIONAL COMPANY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: http://www.newswire.ca/eneleases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=2582

For further information: Contact: Lawrence Cummer
Company: Environics Communications Inc.
Voice: (416) 969-2747
Email: lcummer@environicspr.com

Contact: Don Hogarth
Company: Environics Communications Inc.
Voice: (416) 969-2755
Email: dhogarth@environicspr.com

Contact: Ted Chislett
Company: Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc.
Title: President & Chief Operating Officer
Voice: (416) 207-7011
Email: tchislett@primustel.ca

News release via Canada NewsWire, Toronto 416-863-9350

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