STN Setstone

RNS Number:4118J
Energis PLC
20 April 2000



Energis plc, Viridian PLC, nevada tele.com Limited ("nevada
                        tele.com")
                             
 Co-operation Retirement Benefit Fund (L) Limited ("CRBF")
enters into an irrevocable undertaking with nevada tele.com
in respect of its entire holding in Stentor plc ("Stentor")

The  directors of nevada tele.com note the announcement  by
Stentor  on 28th March 2000 regarding a possible offer  for
the  entire  issued  share capital of Stentor  at  a  price
significantly below the market price of Stentor's  ordinary
shares  on  the day before the announcement, which  was  70
pence  (sterling) per ordinary share.  The market price  of
Stentor's  shares on 19 April 2000 was 29 pence  (sterling)
per ordinary share.

nevada  tele.com  confirms that it is in  discussions  with
Stentor  which may or may not lead to an offer  being  made
for  the  entire issued and to be issued share  capital  of
Stentor  for  a  total  value of #45.8  million  (sterling)
(which,  on  the basis of information provided by  Stentor,
implies  a  price of approximately 37 pence (sterling)  per
ordinary  share  and 481 pence (sterling)  per  convertible
preferred  ordinary share and ignores warrants and  options
with  exercise prices in excess of 37 pence (sterling)  per
share).

CRBF,  the  majority  shareholder  of  Stentor,  has  today
entered   into  an  irrevocable  undertaking  with   nevada
tele.com to accept an offer at this level, if such an offer
is  made.   The undertaking relates to all of those  shares
and  warrants currently beneficially owned by CRBF,  namely
1,697,500 ordinary shares and 7,260,121 warrants (which, on
the  exercise  of  all the warrants which  nevada  tele.com
expects  to  be  exercised if an offer is  made,  represent
approximately  39  per cent. of the issued  ordinary  share
capital),  and  7,320,365  convertible  preferred  ordinary
shares  (which represent approximately 94 per cent. of  the
issued convertible preferred ordinary share capital).   The
undertaking  cannot be withdrawn in the event of  a  higher
offer being made for Stentor by a third party.

If  all  of  the convertible preferred ordinary  shares  in
Stentor were converted and all of the warrants which nevada
tele.com expects to be exercised if an offer is made,  were
so  exercised,  CRBF  would  be  the  beneficial  owner  of
approximately  84  per cent. of the total  issued  ordinary
share capital of Stentor.

A further announcement will be made in due course.

nevada  tele.com  is  a  joint  venture,  incorporated   in
Northern  Ireland  in  March  1999,  between  wholly  owned
subsidiaries of Energis plc and Viridian PLC.   Since  then
it  has  developed  a  new telecommunications  network  and
launched  integrated voice, data, e-commerce  and  Internet
services focused on the business sector.


Enquiries:

Citigate  Dewe Rogerson                          +44 20 7638 9571
Tony  Carlisle                                   (Mobile) 0973 611 888
Duncan Murray                                    (Mobile)0976 952 626

nevada  tele.com                                 +44 28 9072 0500
Irene Cackett          Managing Director
Stephen Forsythe       Marketing Director

Energis plc
Annie  Jupp            Investor Relations        +44 20 7206 5700

Viridian PLC
Jim  McDonnell         Investor Relations        +44 289 068 9116
Peter  Gavan           Corporate Communications  +44 289 068 9135


Notes to Editors

Energis  plc,  founded  in 1993, is  a  FTSE  100  business
telecommunications  and Internet company.  Its  network  is
built primarily along the National Grid's electricity pylon
infrastructure.  The company has over 6,800  kilometres  of
fibre  optic  cable and offers a full portfolio  of  voice,
data, IP and Internet services.

In  August  1999,  Energis  plc expanded  into  continental
Europe  with the acquisition of Unisource Carrier Services,
a  pan-European carriers' carrier.  Since then Energis  plc
has  continued to expand in continental Europe through  the
acquisition  of Business Online, a German ISP,  in  October
1999,  Enertel N.V., a Dutch alternative telecoms operator,
in  November  1999  and  carrier24, a  German  fibre  optic
network, in January 2000.

Viridian  PLC  is  Northern Ireland's  largest  company  by
turnover  and is listed on both the London and Irish  Stock
Exchanges.  The Group includes Northern Ireland Electricity
(NIE); regulated electricity transmission, distribution and
supply;   Sx3,   technology  based   business   outsourcing
solutions; Open+Direct, financial services; Energia  energy
supply;  Powerteam,  electrical  contractor,  and  Viridian
Power Resources, power generation.

Stentor,  headquartered in Dublin  and  quoted  on  AIM  in
London,  is  an international telecoms company specialising
in  voice, data, Internet and e-commerce services.  Stentor
targets  mainly  business customers, and the  fast  growing
Call  Centre market in Ireland.  Stentor's network connects
key   business  districts  in  the  Republic  of   Ireland,
including  Dublin and Cork, and has points of  presence  in
London  and New York.  Like Energis plc, it is a member  of
the GTE Internetworking Partnership.


END
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