ESCH Eschelon Telecom (MM)

(NASDAQ:ESCH): Eschelon Telecom, Inc., a provider of integrated communications services to small and medium sized businesses in the western United States, today announced the opening of the Fort Collins, Colorado market, the second of six planned new markets in 2007. Earlier this month, Eschelon completed an expansion of its network facilities bringing a full suite of telephone and Internet services into the Fort Collins area. �The opening of this office allows us to bring services to customers in Fort Collins, Greely, Windsor, and Loveland,� stated Steve Wachter, Eschelon�s Executive Vice President of Sales. �We can now partner with businesses along the entire front range � from Fort Collins all the way down to Colorado Springs. This is very important to our customers with multiple locations.� The new office, located at 3665 JFK Parkway, Building 2, Suite 310 in Fort Collins, CO. 80525 will immediately house six Eschelon associates, primarily in sales and customer service functions. That number is expected to grow with the Fort Collins base of customers. Eschelon currently employs 99 associates in the state of Colorado and approximately 1,470 nationwide. Fort Collins businesses interested in learning more about Eschelon�s products and services can call the new office at 970-223-2227. �Colorado has been a great state for Eschelon,� commented Jon Secrest, Eschelon�s Vice President of Marketing. �There is no other provider in the state that offers small and medium businesses as broad a product offering as Eschelon, and now we have a broad service area to match!� Eschelon began offering telecommunications services in Colorado shortly after the purchase of Denver-based telephone equipment provider Electro-Tel, Inc. in December, 1997. Eschelon expanded beyond the Denver metro area with the opening of a Colorado Springs office in April of this year. Eschelon�s next planned new market is Tucson, Arizona which is expected to open next month. About Eschelon Telecom, Inc. Eschelon Telecom, Inc. is a facilities-based competitive communications services provider of voice and data services and business telephone systems in 53 markets in the western United States. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company currently employs approximately 1,470 telecommunications/Internet professionals, serves over 65,000 business customers and has approximately 655,000 access lines in service throughout its markets in Minnesota, Arizona, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Montana and California. For more information, please visit our web site at www.eschelon.com. Forward Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements are based on Eschelon Telecom�s current intent, belief and expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements because of the company�s history of losses, ability to maintain relationships with RBOCs, substantial indebtedness, intense competition, dependence on key management, changes in government regulations, and other risks that may be described in the company�s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of today�s date. Eschelon Telecom undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.