WASHINGTON, D.C., September 5, 2002 - Cogent Communications, a Tier One, optical ISP, today announced that they have connected their dedicated IP-only national network - the nation's largest at 80 Gbps - to the Switch and Data colocation facility in Reston, Virginia, bringing dedicated, high-bandwidth Internet connectivity to Northern Virginia. Within hours of activation of the connection, ePHONE Telecom, a Switch and Data customer based in Herndon, VA, extended their contract with Cogent and had 100 Mbps Internet service turned up in Reston.

"Both Cogent and Switch and Data are huge enablers for ePHONE. The combination of Cogent's quality and low price with Switch and Data's national locations and top-notch services allow ePHONE to offer a very compelling and cost-effective solution for data and voice services over a high quality fully integrated IP-based network," said Carmine Taglialatela Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of ePHONE Telecom. "The fact that we were connected in a day only underscores the professionalism of both organizations."

"Through Switch and Data's interconnection capabilities to over 120 diverse networks, our business enabling model gives customers, like ePHONE and Cogent, the ability to reach their customers and/or suppliers," said Patricia Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Switch and Data. "We are a marketplace, the catalyst, where our customer can prosper through the exchange of goods and services."

"When you can create a win-win situation, you tend to be satisfied, but when you can create a win-win-win situation, you get real excited. And in this situation, Cogent couldn't be happier with the outcome. We have a customer that is extremely pleased with our service and price point, and we have a very satisfied colocation partner that has come to know that our service provider price of $30 per megabit attracts customers," said Dave Schaeffer, CEO Cogent Communications.

Cogent Communications and Switch and Data are hosting an informal celebration/informational open house event on September 12th from 4 to 6pm at the Switch and Data Reston facility. This event will showcase ePHONE, while providing information on the enabling technologies available at Switch and Data's colocation facilities, such as Cogent's dedicated high bandwidth Internet connectivity. For more information on attending, contact Cogent at 202-295-4288.

About Switch and Data

Switch and Data, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Tampa, FL, operates carrier-neutral colocation facilities, providing interconnection and other business enabling services to enterprise companies and service providers (ISPs, XLECs, IXCs, SSP, ASPs). Service providers seeking to establish or expand their reach, and enterprise companies needing special equipment protection, enhanced network capacity & performance, look to Switch and Data as their provider of choice. With the largest national footprint, interconnection to over 100 distinct networks, and a proven business plan, Switch and Data is the nation's leading carrier-neutral colocation provider.

About ePHONE Telecom, Inc.

ePHONE Telecom provides next-generation, voice and data communication solutions to businesses and residential customers worldwide. The Company provides a growing suite of innovative retail products and services including branded and private label pre-paid calling cards, pre-paid domestic calling plans and leading edge 1 pre-paid services as well as wholesale (carrier-to-carrier) solutions. ePHONE's retail products can provide consumers dramatic savings of 50% to 70% versus traditional carriers. ePHONE delivers these services via a high-quality, scaleable, Tier-1 grade, Cisco-based VoIP network supported by a 24/7 network operating center in Herndon, VA. The Company is focused on expanding its points-of-presence on a global basis to support every existing and emerging telephony protocol. For more information on ePHONE Telecom and its products and services please visit www.ephonetelecom.com.

About Cogent Communications

Cogent Communications (AMEX: COI) is a Tier 1, facilities based, all-optical ISP focused on delivering ultra-high speed Internet access and transport services to businesses in the multi-tenant marketplace and to service providers located in major metropolitan areas across the United States. Cogent's signature service offered to commercial end-users of 100 Mbps for $1,000 per month, offers 100 times the observed bandwidth of a T-1 connection at approximately two-thirds of the cost. The Cogent solution makes ultra-high speed Internet access an affordable reality for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises and service providers. Cogent's facilities-based, all-optical end-to-end IP network enables non-oversubscribed 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps connectivity for radically low, unmetered pricing levels. Cogent's network consists of a dedicated nationwide multiple OC-192 fiber backbone, multiple intra-city OC-48 fiber rings, and optically-interfaced high-speed routers. Cogent has been recognized as the first IP Optical Cisco Powered Network (CPN). Cogent acquired the U.S. operations of PSINet and is now servicing 33 metropolitan markets with services ranging from T1 and T3, to 100 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps Internet connectivity and transport services. Cogent Communications is headquartered at 1015 31st Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20007. For more information, visit www.cogentco.com. Cogent Communications can be reached at (202) 295-4200 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Information in this release may involve expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to Cogent Communications Group, Inc. as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences. Some of the factors and risks associated with our business are discussed in Cogent's registration statement on Form S-4 as amended by a Form S-4/A (Amendment No. 8) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on January 8, 2002, and in our other reports filed from time to time with the SEC.

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