Madison River Communications

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2000
Mebane, North Carolina

MADISON RIVER COMMUNICATIONS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF COASTAL UTILITIES, INC.

Contact: Paul Sunu, Chief Financial Officer, (919) 563-8222 or Kevin Hancock, Marketing Manager, Madison River Telephone Company, (919) 563-8227

MEBANE, NC -- Madison River Communications announced on March 31, 2000, the completion of its acquisition of Coastal Utilities, Inc. and its subsidiary Coastal Long Distance for an undisclosed amount. Coastal Utilities will continue to operate under the same name providing quality communications services to the areas it serves.

Coastal Utilities, Inc., is a rural local exchange carrier centered in Hinesville, Georgia serving approximately 41,000 access lines and employing approximately two hundred people. Located twenty-three miles Southwest of Savannah, Georgia, Coastal provides service to Liberty County, and parts of Bryan and Long Counties, including the cities of Hinesville, Richmond Hills, Keller, Midway, Flemington, Allenhurst and Walthorville. Coastal Utilities, Inc. offers local and long distance service, paging, Internet, business services and systems, and professional answering services to customers in the burgeoning coastal Georgia market. Coastal also owns interests in US Carrier, LLC, a regional fiber transport carrier that operates in Georgia with a 3300 route mile network and Georgia PCS, a Sprint PCS affiliate. Georgia PCS offers PCS services in areas north and south of Atlanta, and east of Atlanta along the I-75 corridor to Macon, GA.

"Coastal is a great fit with Madison River's Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast footprint," said Steve Vanderwoude, Madison River Communications Chairman and CEO. " Coastal is a great business and the management team and 200 employees will add to Madison River's pool of telecommunication savvy employees."

Founded in 1996, Madison River has experienced dramatic and sustained growth since its inception. With the acquisition of Coastal Utilities, Inc., Madison River's telephone access lines total will climb to nearly 193,000. Madison River provides long distance services to over 40,000 customers and Internet access service to almost 26,000 customers. The addition of Coastal will further the company's goal to provide integrated communications services to customers through Madison River's 2,200 route mile Fiber Optic network spanning the southern United States, connecting Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston and Dallas and its 500 route mile network stretching throughout the Piedmont of North Carolina.

Madison River, LLC is a holding company created to acquire, operate and enhance rural telephone companies, and to use advanced technology to provide competitive communications services in nearby markets. Headquartered in Mebane, NC, the company is owned by affiliates of Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Company, Providence Equity Partners, and members of management.