January 31, 2002 -- US LEC Corp. (Nasdaq: CLEC), a telecommunications carrier providing voice, data and Internet services, has secured an additional contract with a division of the Prudential Financial Companies to provide Internet and local telecommunications services to Prudential Carolina Real Estate in Charleston S.C. US LEC also provides a separate division, Prudential Carolinas Realty in North Carolina, with a Digital Private Line (DPL) network that connects over 20 of Prudential's locations across the state.

US LEC began operations in South Carolina in June 2000 with the opening of a local sales office and digital switching center located in Charleston. This local office provides service to mid-to-large-sized business customers throughout Charleston, Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas.

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