Windstream Completes Acquisition of CT Communications, Inc.

The acquisition strengthens Windstream's position as the leadingcommunications and entertainment company serving rural America andadds approximately 156,000 access lines and 29,500 broadbandcustomers. Windstream now serves more than 3.3 million access linesand 782,000 broadband customers.

"This acquisition nearly doubles Windstream's presence in NorthCarolina and provides the opportunity to generate significantoperating efficiencies with our contiguous markets," said JeffGardner, president and chief executive officer. "The transaction alsoallows our company to continue to grow cash flows through adisciplined acquisition strategy while reducing the dividend payoutratio."

About Windstream

Windstream Corporation provides voice, broadband and entertainmentservices to customers in 16 states. The company has approximately 3.3million access lines and about $3.2 billion in annual revenues. Formore information, visit .

Windstream claims the protection of the safe-harbor forforward-looking statements contained in the Private SecuritiesLitigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subjectto uncertainties that could cause actual future events and results todiffer materially from those expressed in the forward-lookingstatements. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates,projections, beliefs, and assumptions that Windstream believes arereasonable but are not guarantees of future events and results. Actualfuture events and results of Windstream may differ materially fromthose expressed in these forward-looking statements as a result of anumber of important factors. Factors that could cause actual resultsto differ materially from those contemplated above include, amongothers: adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets servedby Windstream; the extent, timing and overall effects of competitionin the communications business; failure to realize expected benefitsas a result of the transactions described above, including the abilityto integrate CT Communications' business into existing operations andrealize the synergies expected from this transaction; material changesin the communications industry generally that could adversely affectvendor relationships with equipment and network suppliers and customerrelationships with wholesale customers; changes in communicationstechnology; the risks associated with the separation of the publishingbusiness; the potential for adverse changes in the ratings given toWindstream's debt securities by nationally accredited ratingsorganizations; the availability and cost of financing in the corporatedebt markets; the effects of work stoppages; the effects oflitigation, including any litigation with respect to theabove-referenced transactions; and the effects of federal and statelegislation, rules and regulations governing the communicationsindustry. In addition to these factors, actual future performance,outcomes and results may differ materially because of more generalfactors including, among others, general industry and marketconditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental andpublic policy changes. Windstream undertakes no obligation to updateor revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of newinformation, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review offactors that could cause Windstream's actual results to differmaterially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statementsshould be considered in connection with information regarding risksand uncertainties that may affect Windstream's future results includedin Windstream's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) at .