April 29, 2002

Next-Generation Research Network Collaborative Partnership

OTTAWA, CANADA -- GT Group Telecom, Shaw Communications Inc., through its Big Pipe Inc. division, and CANARIE Inc. (Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education) today announced a partnership that will establish CANARIE's CA*net 4 national backbone network.

The five-year, minimum C$25 million agreement, provides CANARIE with a new high speed, private Internet network to be known as CA*net 4. The CANARIE network will use next generation technologies and will run across the fibre-optic networks of both Group Telecom and BIG PIPE. The CA*net 4 initiative will link all research-intensive institutions coast-to-coast, and is scheduled to be fully operational by July 2002.

The deployment of the network marks the establishment of the first Internet Protocol (IP) over Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) 10 Gigabit coast-to-coast network in North America and will be used for the advancement of research and education in Canada. The network will enable CANARIE to take advantage of higher bandwidth applications and deliver advanced network capability to Canadian research institutions, universities, and community colleges.

"Partnering with CANARIE is a significant step in Group Telecom's growth and maturation of our network," said Dan Milliard, Group Telecom's chief executive officer. "We are a leading coast-to-coast telecommunications service provider that could deliver the innovation and flexibility that CANARIE was looking for. Working with CANARIE and staying close to research based networking will also enable Group Telecom to bring more innovative services to the rest of the Canadian business market," continued Milliard.

"The deployment of CA*net 4 is indicative of the dedication of this country's private and public sectors to advanced networks and networking technologies and the research they enable for the benefit of all Canadians," added Andrew Bjerring, president and chief executive officer of CANARIE Inc. "It will provide over 2000 Canadian institutions with hundreds of thousands of students and faculty the best innovation platform for their work and give Canadian researchers and scientists a world-class facility to develop their excellence and showcase it to the world."

"CA*net 4 is an exciting project that Shaw is pleased to be part of. Through our Big Pipe Inc. division, we're uniquely positioned to work with Group Telecom in providing CANARIE with an advanced network architecture," said Jim Shaw, chief executive officer of Shaw Communications. "We're proud of the important role the Shaw group has in supporting CANARIE's research and development initiatives."

Once deployed, CA*net 4 will span from coast to coast within Canada, as well as extend into parts of the U.S. offering the capacity to carry multi-media traffic, which will enable numerous health, research, educational and commercial applications.

Group Telecom and CANARIE also announced they will be co-hosting the North American Network Operators' Group (NANOG) 2002 conference in Toronto this summer. NANOG is an organization of advanced network service providers who represent the technical foundation of the original Internet. This will mark the second time the NANOG conference has been hosted in Canada.

About Group Telecom
Group Telecom is Canada's largest independent, facilities-based telecommunications provider, with a national fibre-optic network linked by 409,953 strand kilometres of fibre-optics, at December 31, 2001. Group Telecom's unique backbone architecture is built with technologies such as Gigabit Ethernet for delivery of enhanced network performance and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) for the highest level of network reliability. Group Telecom offers next-generation high-speed data, Internet applications and voice services, delivering enhanced communication solutions to Canadian businesses. Group Telecom operates with local offices in 17 markets across nine provinces in Canada. Group Telecom's national office is in Toronto.

About CANARIE Inc.
CANARIE Inc., Canada's advanced Internet development organization, is an industry-led, not-for-profit corporation with primary funding from Industry Canada. Its mission is to accelerate the development and use of Canada's advanced Internet by facilitating the widespread adoption of faster, more efficient networks and by stimulating the development of new next generation products, applications and services.

About Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified Canadian communications company whose core business is providing broadband cable television, Internet and satellite services to approximately 2.9 million customers. Shaw also has significant interests in telecommunications, Internet infrastructure and interactive television companies. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

About BIG PIPE Inc.
BIG PIPE Inc., a division of Shaw Communications, owns and operates a national fibre-optic backbone network, providing data networking and Internet services to North American businesses. In addition to being the primary Internet Backbone for Shaw's broadband Internet customers, BIG PIPE's services are available to Internet and Applications Service Providers (ISPs and APSs), Carriers and Enterprise Organizations.

Contact:
Meredith Heinrich
Group Telecom
mheinrich@gt.ca

Bill St. Arnaud
CANARIE
bill.st.arnaud@canarie.ca

Greg MacLean
Shaw Communications/Big Pipe
greg.maclean@bigpipeinc.com