HOUSTON -- Enron Communications, Inc., a leader in the delivery of high 
bandwidth application services like streaming rich media, announced today it 
has signed ten new "ePowered Distribution" partners, extending broadband 
access and TV-quality media to an estimated 25 million desktops through an 
estimated 500 points of presence throughout the country.
New ePowered partners include RCN, FlashNet, GST Telecommunications, PDQ.NET, 
NetRail, FirstWorld, Orconet, VillageNet, Show Digital, and Cmetric.  
Existing partners include GTE Internetworking, Verio, Epoch Internet, 
NorthPoint, Electric Lightwave, InterNAP, EasyStreet, and Telecommute 
Solutions. The announcement was made in San Jose at ISPCon, a leading trade 
show dedicated to the Internet provider industry.
"Our relationship with Enron enables PDQ.NET to provide next generation 
broadband desktop applications for our customers and addresses enterprise 
demand for mission critical e-business solutions," said Billy Ladin, CEO, 
PDQ.NET.  "The Enron Intelligent Network is the key here " unlike other 
distribution methods available today, Enron provides an unparalleled quality 
of service and scalability." 
The ePowered distribution program offers distributors a shared revenue model, 
reliable quality of service, the ability to fully integrate Enron 
Communications, point of presence servers with those of the ISPs, and 
comprehensive joint sales, marketing and network integration services. Unlike 
other distribution programs that rely on the public Internet, Enron 
Communications connects ISPs directly to the Enron Intelligent Network 
offering a one-hop platform with high quality of service, low latency, and 
the scalability that enterprise customers demand.  In addition, this service 
model allows distribution partners to immediately differentiate their service 
by offering broadband-optimized streaming multimedia content and applications 
to Web users.  
"Our ePowered distribution partners can now offer their customers 
differentiated services, like ePoweredTM Media Cast, which streams video to 
the desktop at an average bit rate speed of 200 Kbps and has capabilities of 
delivering streams at 1 Mbps or higher -- up to 50 times faster than what is 
currently available on the public Internet," said Joe Hirko, president and 
CEO of Enron Communications, Inc.  "We can offer the speed and quality that 
others cannot because we have built a pure IP network that provides a 
broadband overlay to the public Internet that results in higher capacity and 
better transmission quality."
The Enron Intelligent Network is based on a distributed server architecture, 
a pure Internet protocol strategy, Enron,s fiber and satellite distribution, 
and the embedded software intelligence that sets it apart from other network 
providers.  The Enron Intelligent Network enables a whole new breed of 
application services, called ePoweredTM services, which transport rich media 
and live, streaming video, faster than using the public Internet.  Enron 
Communications serves major markets nationwide with 12 POPs in Boston, New 
York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, 
Seattle, Portland, San Jose and Los Angeles.  
How it Works
Enron Communications integrates its metropolitan area POPs into the ePowered 
distributor partners, local POPs, which allows the distributor to offer its 
streaming video delivered at up to 1 Megabit per second, or around 30 frames 
per second -- full-screen TV-quality.  Enron Communications shares revenues 
with the distribution partners and offers a higher quality of service on the 
Enron Intelligent Network, than may be available on the Internet. 
About Enron Communications: Enron Communications delivers the Enron 
Intelligent NetworkTM, a Pure IPTM broadband overlay to the Internet. Enron 
Communications also provides rich, multimedia ePowered TMapplication services 
that enhance online commerce and communications.  In early 2000, the Enron 
Intelligent Network will extend its reach to Europe, Japan, Asia and South 
America with metropolitan POPs and local ePowered distribution partners.  
Enron Communications offers ISPs and networks providers a range of bandwidth 
transport solutions that enable businesses to handle high traffic and high 
bit rate needs. A wholly owned subsidiary of Enron Corp. (NYSE: ENE), Enron 
Communications can be found on the web at www.enron.net.
Enron is one of the world,s leading electricity, natural gas and 
communications companies.  The company, which owns approximately $34 billion 
in energy and communications assets, produces electricity and natural gas, 
develops, constructs and operates energy facilities worldwide, delivers 
physical commodities and financial and risk management services to customers 
around the world, and is developing an intelligent network platform to 
facilitate online business.  Enron,s Internet address is www.enron.com.  The 
stock is traded under the ticker symbol, "ENE."