GTE and Netpliance, Inc. partner to bring the latest Internet trend, plug-and-play Internet access devices, to consumers nationwide. Netpliance extends the convenience of the Web throughout the home.

ISPCON, SAN JOSE, Calif. - GTE Internetworking, a division of GTE Corp., today announced an agreement with Netpliance, Inc. to provide remote dial access for the company's i-opener ^TM Internet Personal Access Device (IPAD). With i-opener, families gain access to email, customized Internet content and full Web browsing without any set-up configuration or service provider contracts.

Netpliance believes that many consumers are looking for a more personalized, easy-to-use method for accessing and using the Web. Netpliance provides an instant-on service that dials out to the Internet, synchronizes and updates personalized information the instant the i-opener is turned on. With the broad coverage of GTE Internetworking's DiaLinx nationwide dial IP network, Netpliance is delivering its customized Internet solution with unique services and localized content nationwide.

As Netpliance continues to expand, the company's goal is to provide a local dial number for as much of the U.S. market as possible. GTE Internetworking's DiaLinx network will enable Netpliance to meet this goal and service additional customers in new markets throughout the country.

GTE Internetworking offers more than 1,000 local Internet access numbers across the United States that will enable present and future Netpliance customers across the country to dial a local access number from their homes to connect to the Internet.

"With i-opener, Netpliance has completely removed all of the upfront steps required to gain Internet access. Our customers do not have to worry about installation, set up or configuration. They simply turn on the i-opener, and it automatically connects to one of GTE's local dial numbers and within minutes, they have access to personalized content specific to their individual needs," said Kent Savage, CEO of Netpliance. "GTE is helping us make it simple and cost-effective to get online. And because it's a full-service national provider, we can continue to grow to meet future customer demands."

In addition to providing Internet access to Netpliance customers, GTE Internetworking's DiaLinx remote dial access services provide high-performance, global dial-up access to businesses that require a cost-effective, easily implemented solution for connecting employees, customers and business partners to corporate intranets, extranets and the Internet.

"Netpliance is capitalizing on the market trend of making the Internet easy for the masses," said Patrick Kloepfer, vice president and general manager of remote access services for GTE Internetworking. "GTE is committed to providing the most reliable, available and secure Internet dial access services with the most extensive breadth and depth of coverage. The quality of the connections and customer service allows Netpliance to make the use of i-opener seamless."

GTE also provides Netpliance with the use of its GTE Enterprise Management Center, which offers personalized end-user help desk service, timely notification of problem resolution status and rapid resolutions for end-user problems/support issues. During its i-opener beta program, Netpliance conducted a trial end-to-end user experience, which included testing the resolution of problems and customer service. With GTE's tech support, beta/test users had no customer service difficulties and found the support to be superior.

Reliable, High-speed Dial-up Connectivity

GTE Internetworking's high-performance, high-availability DiaLinx global remote access service offers corporations, ISPs and other organizations the necessary tools to provide top-tier Internet access to their employees and customers. GTE's DiaLinx service includes:

• Access to the entire global network, including more than 1,000 local access numbers throughout the U.S. and 1,500 local access numbers in more than 150 countries worldwide
• 24x7 real-time network monitoring and support by GTE's state-of-the-art Network Operations Center (NOC); fast response times and quick access to the Internet
• High-performance, state-of the art technology, including v.90, 56kbps modems deployed throughout the U.S. dial network.

About Netpliance

Austin, Texas-based Netpliance, Inc is a three-in-one provider of an Internet Personal Access Device (IPAD), nationwide Internet service and personalized Internet content. The company integrates WebStyle^TM portals for individual members of the family with its patent-pending i-opener ^TM IPAD, which combines for the first time instant-on Internet access and interest-specific Internet content such as i-opener^TM , i-opener for Teens and i-opener for Kids. Truly plug and playful, the i-opener IPAD is ready out of the box and greets users personally the minute it's plugged in. Enhancing the way families live, learn and play, Netpliance has conveniently extended the Web to every room in the house with its compact, stylized and colorful i-opener home appliance. Additional information about Netpliance, Inc. can be found on the Internet at .http://www.netpliance.net.

About GTE Internetworking and GTE Corp.

GTE Internetworking, a unit of GTE Corporation (NYSE:GTE), offers customers, from consumers to Fortune 500 companies, a full spectrum of integrated Internet services using IP networking technologies. GTE Internetworking delivers complete network solutions, including dial-up and dedicated Internet access, high-performance Web hosting, virtual private networks (VPNs), managed Internet security, network management, systems integration, and Web-based application development for integrating the Internet into business operations. GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated voice, video and data services. Additional information about GTE Internetworking can be found on the Internet at http://www.bbn.com, and about GTE Corp. at http://www.gte.com.

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DiaLinx is a registered trademark of GTE Internetworking Incorporated.