HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITC^DeltaCom, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ITCD), a leading provider of integrated communications services to customers in the southeastern United States, today announced it has been awarded $9.4 million in federal stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP). The grant will enable a 544-mile fiber-optic network expansion in Eastern Tennessee to provide middle mile broadband services to community anchor institutions and last mile service providers in speeds up to 10Gbps.  

The network expansion project will add a new fiber-optic route to the Deltacom network from Chattanooga through Knoxville, to Johnson City and Bristol Tennessee and add interconnection points to an existing fiber-optic route between Nashville and Knoxville. Five of the new interconnection points, including Cookeville, Harriman, Cleveland, Philadelphia/Sweetwater and Morristown, are in counties designated as underserved by Connected Tennessee, an independent non-profit organization that develops and implements effective strategies for technology deployment, use and literacy in Tennessee. The new network will enable broadband access for a number of entities including educational and healthcare institutions and allow local Internet providers to connect to Deltacom's network for intercity transport.

"Our Regional Alliance represents ten mostly rural counties that are underserved by broadband technology," said Tom Ferguson, President and CEO, Regional Alliance for Economic Development of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. "Because the infrastructure is vital to the economic growth of these counties, we support Deltacom's Eastern Tennessee middle mile broadband network project. Additionally, the project will promote technology competition and should benefit consumers through service innovation and competitive pricing."

"At Deltacom, we are committed to making a difference to the communities we serve," said Randall E. Curran, Deltacom's Chief Executive Officer. "We have a long history serving rural markets across the Southeast and are pleased to have the opportunity to deepen our reach and assist in the economic development and job growth initiatives across Eastern Tennessee."

ABOUT ITC^DELTACOM, INC.

ITC^DeltaCom, Inc., headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, provides, through its operating subsidiaries, integrated telecommunications and technology services to businesses and other communications providers in the southeastern United States. ITC^DeltaCom has a fiber optic network spanning approximately 12,161 route miles, and offers a comprehensive suite of voice and data communications services, including local, long distance, broadband data, Internet connectivity, wireless voice and data services, and customer premise equipment. ITC^DeltaCom is one of the largest competitive telecommunications providers in its primary eight-state region. For more information, visit ITC^DeltaCom's web site at www.deltacom.com.

SOURCE ITC^DeltaCom, Inc.

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