EarthLink Supports Muscular Dystrophy Association's 46th Annual Labor Day Telethon

EarthLink donates wireless routers to enable real-time donations at locations nationwide

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Sep 01, 2011, 10:28 ET

ATLANTA, Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) a leading IP infrastructure and services company, today announced the donation of wireless router equipment and Internet access to support 13 locations participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Labor Day Telethon on Sunday, September 4th. The EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) routers will provide Internet connectivity for telethon sites in eleven states, enabling staff at these locations to monitor crucial, timely information on the Telethon's donation website.

"Without this critical and generous contribution by EarthLink, 13 MDA Labor Day Telethon locations would be unable to access our donation website to update tote boards in real-time," said MDA President and Chief Executive Officer Gerald C. Weinberg. "We've found that communities respond best to Telethon appeals when they can see the momentum of local donations helping to speed treatments and cures for progressive muscle diseases. Thanks to EarthLink, this best practice will continue in all Telethon markets."

For the well-known MDA Telethon, televised each year on Labor Day weekend, EarthLink also builds a secure data tunnel from the Telethon headquarters in Las Vegas into its MPLS cloud to create a temporary remote MDA office with security features and benefits. As MDA's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors, the ability to take donations securely via Internet and phone is extremely important during the telethon and year-round.

EarthLink is the Muscular Dystrophy Association's complete managed network solution provider. MDA's private, nationwide Multi-Protocol Layer Switching (MPLS) data network and managed security platform from EarthLink connects the agency's headquarters in Tucson, AZ with its data centers and hundreds of regional offices. Leveraging EarthLink's private, dedicated and secure MPLS network also provide the MDA with consistent service levels and the Quality of Service (QoS) required for the MDA to utilize Voice-over-IP (VoIP) as a cost-effective alternative for its voice service.

"We applaud the efforts of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and understand its limited resources and exceptional needs as a non-profit organization," said Rolla P. Huff, EarthLink Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "EarthLink is pleased to offer additional assistance and provide Internet connectivity at these sites during this year's Telethon. Our partnership with MDA is important to us, and we've worked diligently to provide a solution which also offers the network security, performance and centralized infrastructure management MDA requires."

About EarthLink
EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) is a leading provider of Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure and services to medium-sized and large businesses, enterprise organizations and over 1.5 million consumers across the United States. The company has been providing Internet access and communications services for decades and has earned an award-winning reputation for both outstanding customer service and product innovation. For consumers, EarthLink is a leading Internet Service Provider connecting people to the power and possibilities of the Internet. EarthLink Business™ provides voice, data, mobile and equipment services over a 28,000 mile fiber network and MPLS-based services nationwide. For more information, visit EarthLink's website www.earthlink.net.

About MDA
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive healthcare and support services, advocacy and education. See the award-winning MDA "Make A Muscle, Make A Difference" PSA.

In addition to funding more than 300 research teams worldwide, MDA maintains a national network of some 200 hospital-affiliated clinics; orchestrates hundreds of support groups for families affected by neuromuscular diseases; facilitates extraordinary local summer camp opportunities for thousands youngsters fighting progressive muscle diseases. Known globally for the MDA Labor Day Telethon, the Association is the first nonprofit to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity."

About MDA Labor Day Telethon

The original reality-television program, the MDA Labor Day Telethon has been inspiring tens of millions to annually support the lifesaving mission of the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1966. Broadcast by more than 150 television stations, the 2011 Telethon will be telecast from 6 p.m. to midnight in every U.S. time zone on Sunday, Sept. 4. Entertainment icons including Celine Dion, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Lopez, Darius Rucker, Martina McBride, Steven Tyler, Jon Secada, Randy Jackson, and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks are making special appearances on the 2011 Telethon. Joining these music artists in encouraging even greater public support of MDA are The View's Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck; plus NFL legend Kurt Warner and NBA great Dwight Howard.