Birch Communications Adds Major Wholesale Customer

ATLANTA, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Birch Carrier Solutions, the wholesale division of Birch Communications, Inc. a leading IP-based telecom and managed services provider to small- and medium-sized businesses, announced today its has signed a major wholesale agreement with Ernest Communications, Inc.

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Under this agreement, Ernest Communications, one of the nation's largest telecommunications companies dedicated exclusively to serving multi-location businesses throughout the U.S., will become a wholesale customer of Birch Carrier Solutions and will utilize its state-of-the-art Birch IP-Network.

"We are very pleased to provide Ernest Communications with access to Birch's best-in-class IPNetwork," said Chris Aversano, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Birch Communications. "This agreement further enhances Birch's commitment to provide high-quality service providers like Ernest Communications with competitively-priced wholesale services that they can use to serve their customers."

Birch Carrier Solutions, the wholesale division of Birch Communications, Inc., is a facilities-based wholesale telecommunications provider to Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), VoIP Providers, and Resellers.

Birch Carrier Solutions leverages its extensive network in the southeast and southwest to deliver an array of communications services that include:

• Business and residential local and long distance service
• Business and residential DSL (ADSL2+) service (1.5MB up to 10MB speeds)
• T1 services, including voice, data, T1 and PRI integrated voice and data, bonded/integrated T1 and PRI, and integrated SIP trunking

Bryan Cornett, vice president of Business Planning for Ernest Communications said, "We are excited to add an elite carrier such as Birch Communications to our portfolio of service providers. While expanding our footprint of coverage and products, Birch's commitment to their wholesale partners aligns with Ernest's commitment to provide the highest level of service possible to our customers."

"Priority support for our wholesale customers is one of the most important components of the services provided by Birch Carrier Solutions, from initial consultation to implementation to ongoing operations," said Tosha Cornali, director of customer support for Birch Carrier Solutions. "Our customers can rely on Birch's resilient network, on-time service delivery, award-winning customer support and accurate billing for a total solution."

For more information on Birch Carrier Solutions, go to http://www.birch.com/About/bcs.aspx

About Birch Communications
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Birch Communications provides managed communications and information technology services to a target market of small and medium-sized businesses in select metropolitan areas within 38 states across the United States. Birch services include local and long distance voice, broadband Internet access, T1, PRI, bonded T1, mobile voice and data, e-mail, voicemail, prepaid, and many other communications and information technology services. Birch voice and data services are, in most cases, delivered using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology on the company's secure IP-Network rather than over the public Internet.

According to Inc. 500|5000 magazine in its 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2004 rankings, Birch was one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. In 2010, Birch was also named the 7th fastest growing private business in Atlanta, and in 2011 as one of the Top 100 Private Companies in Atlanta, by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Please visit www.birch.com for more information.

About Ernest Communications, Inc.
Ernest Communications, Inc. is a privately held telecommunications company providing comprehensive voice and data services across the US. Today Ernest is the most experienced multi-location account consolidator offering clients turnkey, customized billing and single point-of-contact support for every location and service nationwide, regardless of local exchange carrier.

SOURCE Birch Communications