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Apr 9, 2002

Enventis Telecom Achieves Gold Certification From Cisco Systems

Enventis Telecom Achieves Gold Certification From Cisco Systems Minneapolis, Minn. — Enventis Telecom, an ALLETE company (NYSE: ALE) announced today it has achieved Gold Certification from Cisco Systems, Inc. The Cisco partner certification program provides Enventis Telecom with the resources to develop an expertise in selling, implementing and supporting Cisco network solutions. By achieving Gold Certification status, Enventis Telecom can ensure customers it has obtained the highest Cisco standard for network expertise and support capabilities.

“The purpose of our Certification Program is to build channel partner expertise,” said Tom Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Channels for Cisco Systems. “Gold Certification status provides strong recognition of Enventis Telecom’s commitment to providing the highest level of network knowledge and customer satisfaction.”

The Cisco Partner Certification Program offers world-class technical and sales training. The program also ensures the consistent delivery of industry-leading support by maintaining rigorous standards for network expertise and support capabilities.

“We are proud to have achieved Gold Certification status from Cisco,” said Rich Henderson, president of Enventis Telecom. “It’s a strong indication to customers that we offer high quality products and services to help businesses communicate more efficiently.”

Enventis Telecom provides value-added services to design, deploy, and manage innovative network solutions. From campus LANs to global WANs, Enventis Telecom identifies customer infrastructure requirements, designs a solution, and provides the documentation and training to operate the system. We assist businesses in migrating voice, video and data infrastructures to a single network for maximum functionality and return on investment.

Enventis Telecom’s network is one of the most extensive in Minnesota, with fiber throughout the state and metro rings in major business centers. The company’s Cisco Powered Network provides highly reliable, broadband connectivity for business critical applications. This multi-service solutions approach, along with our fiber-based system, assures network performance, scalability, and reliability.

Enventis Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. ALLETE’s corporate headquarters are located in Duluth, Minn. ALLETE’s holdings include ADESA Corporation, the second largest wholesale automobile auction network in North America; AFC, the leading provider of independent auto dealer inventory financing; significant real estate holdings in Florida; and Minnesota Power, a low-cost electric utility that serves some of the largest industrial customers in the United States. For more information about ALLETE, visit the company’s web site at www.allete.com.