January 14, 2002 -- Focal Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: FCOM), a national provider of local phone and data services, recently installed a fourth Nortel DMS-500 switch to serve the increasing demand of enterprise customers in the greater metro (New York/Northern New Jersey) area. Focal's third switch, located in Jersey City, was installed in May 2001.

Located in Manhattan, the additional switch provides local phone, data and other communications services to New York/Northern New Jersey customers. When fully populated, the four switches will handle approximately 400,000 ports. Focal installed its first switch in New York in 1998. Since then, it has become Focal's most impressive success story, landing major Fortune 100 accounts, turning an operating profit, and most recently helping to get customers back in service immediately following Sept. 11.

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