ALBANY, NY - FirstLight Fiber, a facilities-based telecommunications service provider operating fiber optic networks in Upstate New York and Northern New England with connectivity to Canada, announced today that it will provide data center services to the New England Telehealth Consortium (NETC), a federally funded consortium of healthcare providers whose mandate is to create a shared network among rural and urban healthcare facilities across the region.

FirstLight's Lebanon, New Hampshire data center will provide NETC with a high-quality, secure and reliable facility to host its clients' mission critical network core. FirstLight's services will allow NETC to seamlessly transfer data from one site to another securely and efficiently, which will enable NETC's customers to provide the best service and care for its patients.

"Healthcare facilities in our consortium depend on a robust communications infrastructure to securely transport mission critical information, such as electronic medical records and digital images, as well as other data that directly affects patients," said Brian Thibeau, President of NETC. "For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that we select high quality networks, facilities and providers to entrust with our mission critical operations. FirstLight's state-of-the-art network and data center facilities, as well as its regional expertise, provide us with reliable and secure services that we know our healthcare providers can depend on."

"As healthcare organizations strive to meet the ever-changing requirements and regulations of the industry, FirstLight is continuously evolving to keep pace with the needs of the healthcare institutions we serve," stated Kurt Van Wagenen, President & CEO of FirstLight. "FirstLight's relationship with NETC further demonstrates our commitment to providing healthcare institutions with the comprehensive, high quality solutions required to support advanced telemedicine applications, ultimately improving the patient experience."

NETC's relationship with FirstLight comes as a response to a $24.7 million award to NETC from the Federal Communications Commission Rural Healthcare Pilot Program. The program's goal is to facilitate the creation of a nationwide broadband network dedicated to healthcare, connecting public and private non-profit healthcare providers in rural and urban locations.

To learn more about FirstLight, visit www.firstlight.net, or follow the Company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About FirstLight Fiber

FirstLight Fiber, headquartered in Albany, NY, provides fiber optic data, Internet, colocation and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers in Upstate New York and Northern New England with connectivity to Canada utilizing its own fiber optic network, which spans over 190,000 fiber miles connecting in excess of 1,400 lit locations. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications products, including dedicated Internet access, Metro Ethernet, traditional TDM solutions, SIP trunks, virtual PBX and audio-conferencing, managed commercial wireless systems, and Data Center Colocation. FirstLight's clientele includes national cellular providers and CLECs and many leading enterprises, spanning high tech manufacturing and research, hospitals and healthcare, banking and financial, secondary education, colleges and universities, and local and state governments. FirstLight is a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Riverside Partners.

About New England Telehealth Consortium

The New England Telehealth Consortium was formed in March of 2007 in response to the creation of the RHCPP. In November of 2007, the FCC awarded a total of $417 million to 69 applicants for the program. NETC comprises over 500 sites and the largest award (approximately $24.7 million, funding 85% of costs) out of the 69 total awards.