Covad completed the nationwide rollout of its business-class VoIP service. Covad VoIP is now available in 125 major metropolitan markets nationwide, including over 900 cities.

Covad VoIP integrates high-speed Internet and telephone service, and allows businesses to manage both data and voice calls with a single broadband connection.

"The entire Covad team has worked diligently to implement VoIP service into our nationwide network in a very short period of time," said Charles Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of Covad. "Covad VoIP now offers small and medium businesses across the country an unparalleled suite of services and voice quality that business can rely on, and an attractive alternative to traditional local phone company service."

Michael Lauricella of AMI Research said that "All businesses should seriously consider what VoIP service can do for their business. Not only is there the potential to reduce costs but also the productivity benefits are profound. When considering a VoIP solution, look to a provider that can deliver business-class managed voice services over a nationwide network coupled with a robust portfolio of productivity enhancing features and capabilities."

VoIP represents a dramatic transformation in telecommunications that leverages the power of the Internet to enable next generation communications capabilities. It uses a broadband Internet connection such as Covad's nationwide DSL network to carry local and long distance voice calls instead of the public switched telephone network. This more efficient method of transport results in lower costs compared to traditional phone calls while providing more features and functionality.

"We are extremely pleased by the positive reaction to Covad VoIP in all of our markets around the country," Hoffman said. "Customers like the fact that Covad VoIP offers reliability and quality, and can serve their needs nationwide rather than just in certain regions."

Covad VoIP offers two services: Covad vPBX and Covad PBXi. Covad PBXi is designed to work seamlessly with existing PBX equipment. Covad vPBX is designed as a full PBX alternative. Covad and Covad's dealer network install the service, train users and provide complete customer support.

Covad's Dashboard brings an array of capabilities into one common user interface including local and long-distance services, visual fax and voice mail, Instant Messaging, audio and web conferencing, call logs, directory services, "Find me/Follow me" and other features, all managed from one place using one phone number. Covad currently offers several VoIP products custom-tailored small- to medium-sized businesses, and for enterprises needing a virtual Private Branch Exchange (PBX).

Features of Covad VoIP service include:

• Local and Long Distance telephone service
• Voice Optimized Access (VOA) -- the ability to prioritize voice traffic over the network to ensure impeccable quality of voice service through Covad's network
• Nationwide coverage
• Automated provisioning capabilities
• Service backed by comprehensive service level agreements (SLAs)
• Covad Dashboard an easy-to-use, award winning Web-based user interface
• Call logs
• Find Me, Follow Me functionality that allows a user to receive calls on multiple devices from the users VoIP phone number
• Unified visual voice and fax mail
• Voice and Web conferencing
• Automated Attendant

Covad provides broadband voice and data communications.