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Date: 28th September 2007
Title: PacketFront customers win Cornerstone Awards 

PacketFront, the pioneer of open-access FTTH (Fiber-To-The-Home) broadband networking, has announced that three of its most successful customers have scooped up prestigious Cornerstone Awards, presented and organised by Broadband Properties Magazine in the USA. This is the third consecutive year that PacketFront customers have been awarded for their vision and superior technology. The advanced nature and practical benefits at the heart of each winning company's broadband network impressed the judges and put them well ahead of the competition in terms of forward thinking design.

The nine winners of the eleventh annual awards were selected by a committee of industry leaders, analysts and writers – all looking for companies and individuals that have achieved impressive feats in the broadband and telecommunications industry in the past twelve months.

The "Most Advanced Broadband Network" award went to Affärsverken, a municipal power provider for the city of Karlskrona, Sweden. Affärsverken's open access network provides community services throughout the city – as well as the standard triple-play of voice, video and data. The company recently launched an innovative health care service, "Nurse Gudrun", that allows residents to utilize video conferencing with health care professionals from their homes.

"Affärsverken stands out as an inspiring example for others," said Scott De Garmo, president and CEO of Broadband Properties Magazine. "With a far-sighted plan, Affärsverken's FTTH network represents what the judges think will become a model for others to follow."

"Helping Top Developers Deliver the Future, Today" has been awarded to Anaheim, California-based PAXIO Inc., a registered local exchange carrier that provides Internet and VoIP services to new residential developments in California's Bay Area. PAXIO's FTTH network offers homeowners virtually unlimited bandwidth that provides Internet connection speeds of up to one Gigabit per second, a speed far superior to those provided by telephone or cable networks.

The "Most Advanced Strategy for an Open-Access Network" award went to Hafslund, Norway's largest power company. The open access FTTH network cover selected cooperative housing areas in and around Oslo and offer IPTV and other broadband services. End users are provided with a wide variety of broadband services over the same connection and have the opportunity to choose different services by themselves.

"PacketFront continues to consolidate its role as a technology leader, and these awards help confirm the company's impressive performance," said Scott De Garmo. "The judges looked at a wide range of projects around the world before making their final decisions, and it seems highly significant that both the award for the "Most Advanced Broadband Network" and the award for the "Most Advanced Strategy" went to PacketFront customers."

About the Cornerstone Award
Originally established in 1989 as the Diamond Tier Awards and presented as recognition of achievement to companies providing cable services to the MDU industry (apartments and hotels). The Cornerstone Awards have been expanded to include and recognize achievements in broadband and telecommunications for all communities and municipalities, including residential multifamily (apartments, campus housing, active adult communities) and planned communities (multi-home developments, renewed urban areas). Each year, a committee of industry leaders, analysts, and writers vote to bestow these Cornerstone Awards to companies or individuals whose accomplishments of the previous 12 months they felt are deserving of special recognition.

About Affärsverken
Affärsverken AB started as an energy company in 1907. Today, the company is building, developing and operating infrastructure primarily within the community of Karlskrona. Affärsverken's business areas are city network, electricity, heat, refuse collection, and boat traffic.

About PAXIO
PAXIO Inc. deploys fiber networks and technology solutions in select communities. Delivering extraordinary broadband capacity has placed PAXIO at the forefront of the fiber to the home industry. PAXIO's redefinement of the broadband delivery infrastructure provides the foundation for the next generation of digital consumers and businesses. Working with municipalities, land developers, builders, commercial properties, apartments and home owners associations PAXIO provides consultation, design, deployment, system management, and broadband services increasing community value, and improving consumer and business functionality, and enriching the quality of life within PAXIO service areas.

About Hafslund
Hafslund is Norway's largest power company, as well as the second largest security company in that country. Hafslund's strategy is to simplify the everyday life of its customers with simple and reasonably-priced services in energy, security and communication. In 2006, the company had sales of NOK 21.6 billion, and profits of NOK 11.6 billion.