MTS Allstream First in Canada to Offer Members of the Canadian Forces Wireless Service Hold While on International Deployment

    Stock Symbol:  MBT

    WINNIPEG, July 2 /CNW/ - MTS Allstream Inc. ("MTS Allstream") is the
first telecommunications company in Canada to offer wireless subscribers who
are members of the Canadian Forces and are being deployed on international
operations the chance to put their contracts on hold, while the time of their
contract continues, during their call of duty overseas.
    "The Canadian Forces are making an incredible contribution to important,
often dangerous, missions around the world. When you are deployed to a distant
place on the globe to carry out an important mission, we think your cell phone
contract should be the least of your worries," said Kelvin Shepherd, President
Consumer Markets, MTS Allstream. "We are pleased to provide MTS Mobility
subscribers who are members of the Canadian Forces with peace of mind when it
comes to their cell phone plan during their time away serving our country."
    When a member of the Forces returns to Manitoba and reactivates his or
her plan, that soldier will have the same cell phone number and will be put
back on the same plan the soldier had before deployment. Soldiers will not
receive monthly bills during their deployment time. If the cellular service
contract expires while the soldier is away, then on returning to Manitoba and
reactivating the account, that soldier may be eligible for a hardware upgrade.
    For more information on the MTS Allstream Canadian Forces initiative,
call 1-800-458-4543. To access the Canadian Forces Request for Wireless
Service Hold online, visit www.mts.ca/cfwirelessrequest.

    About MTS Allstream

    MTS Allstream is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services
Inc. As one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies,
MTS Allstream provides innovative communications for the way Canadians want to
live and work today. The Company has more than 100 years of experience, with
6,000 employees across Canada dedicated to a mission of delivering true value
as seen through the eyes of our customers. In 2008, MTS Allstream had nearly
two million total customer connections spanning business customers across
Canada and residential consumers throughout the province of Manitoba. The
Company's extensive national broadband and fibre optic network spans almost
30,000 kilometres. MTS Allstream is a proud sponsor of Cindy Klassen, 2006
World Champion and Canada's greatest Olympian, and a proud contributor to the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common
shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT).
Customers, stakeholders and investors who want to learn more about MTS
Allstream services, markets, community commitments and record of creating
shareholder value are encouraged to visit: www.mtsallstream.com.

For further information: Media: Jill Gibson, MTS Allstream Corporate
Communications, (204) 958-3392, media.relations@mtsallstream.com; Investors:
Paul Peters, MTS Allstream Investor Relations, (204) 941-6178,
investor.relations@mtsallstream.com