August 1, 2000/ Chatham, ON, Canada: Canquest Communications (Canada) Inc. has been selected to supply service and technology in a joint effort with Excel Telecommunications (Canada) Inc., a member of the Teleglobe group providing national and international residential long-distance services in Canada through its national network of Independent Representatives. 

Recognizing the growth of the Canadian prepaid market, Excel Canada is poised to capitalize on the expanding trend towards utilization of prepaid phone cards for both domestic and International calls as an alternate means to more traditional payment methods, especially for calls made outside of the home or office. The Excel offering will consist of a rechargeable phone card accessible from touch-tone telephones anywhere in Canada and the United States with the additional feature allowing international origination.

"Excel Canada's prepaid calling cards have several key advantages over their competition; among others they do not have hidden fees or excessive surcharges", states Steve Finlay, Excel Canada's Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. "Excel offers it's customers access to a high quality, worldwide telephone network with competitive rates, intended to provide an easy-to-use prepaid telecommunication solutions."

"Excel's prepaid phone-card launch represents an excellent opportunity based on their combined offering of innovative telecommunications products and services with the wide ranging support of a network marketing business model." states John W. Smith, CEO of Canquest Communications (Canada) Inc. "We look forward to further enhancing the offerings of Teleglobe and Excel via creative means of introducing new telecom products to the Next Generation of users." 

Canquest Communications is Canada's only licensed full service card platform provider offering a range of electronic transaction business solutions including prepaid and postpaid phone cards, prepaid cellular, prepaid paging and customer service.

In just over 10 years, Excel Communications Inc. has grown to become the fourth largest long-distance company in the United States in terms of revenues. The Canadian division of Excel, created as a result of the alliance between Teleglobe and Excel Communications Inc., began operations in March 1999 offering residential customers across Canada a variety of telecommunications products and services including long distance, flat- rate international service and calling cards.