CONTACT INFORMATION

Hickory Tech Corporation
www.hickorytech.com

MANKAto, MN., February 25, 2000 - Leading information management solution provider NIBI (National Independent Billing, Inc.), Mankato, Minn., has signed a contract with StratusWave Communications of Wheeling, WV to install its latest billing and customer care solution - WRITE2k®.

WRITE2k is designed for wireless and wireline telecommunications, information, entertainment, and energy service providers. It employs an innovative rules-based design and enterprise wide NT environment that enables service providers to easily implement new products, services, rate plans, marketing messages, and discounts into their billing statements. This dramatically reduces training and operation costs and allows service providers to virtually respond to the marketplace on demand.

"Unlike traditional billing and customer care software, WRITE2k will enable us to fully support our digital network," said Robert C. Mead, President of StratusWave Communications. "WRITE2k's scalability and network architecture gives us the flexibility to quickly and cost effectively meet market demands."

Traditional billing solutions incorporate hard-coded or table-driven systems with the information management systems centering around the billing function. These outdated legacy systems severely limit service providers by requiring extensive reprogramming to adjust to the ever-changing marketplace.

In contrast, WRITE2k uses a rules-based design that allows service providers to modify system capabilities without expensive and time consuming programming changes. WRITE2k features a suite of client-server applications that support all the potential business functions that a service provider may demand from a billing system. WRITE2k also enables a service provider to customize the system from any terminal in the business. Furthermore, the package provides the basic tools to maximize marketing efforts and customer service.
"WRITE2k's client-server architecture allows the system to easily scale to a company's growth," said Scott Grill, Director of Sales & Marketing at NIBI. "It can be deployed as a turnkey package or as a distributed solution."

About NIBI
WRITE2k was developed in partnership with Sepro Telecom International, Ltd. of Dublin, Ireland. In September of 1997, NIBI signed an agreement with Sepro for the joint development of the rules-based software design for WRITE2k. Sepro's proven ability to apply state-of-the-art design and development techniques to meet the needs of innovative telecommunication providers complements NIBI's 36+ years of billing experience.
Since 1964, NIBI has offered leading software and information technology solutions to the telecommunications industry. NIBI distinguishes itself by serving local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, resellers, and electric utilities. Headquartered in Mankato, Minn., NIBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hickory Tech Corporation (NASDAQ: HTCO).

About Hickory Tech Corporation
Hickory Tech Corporation is a diversified communications holding company located in Mankato, Minn., with operations in Minnesota and Iowa. HTC has completed its 101st year of operations with its roots in the local telephone exchange business. From this base, it has expanded into five sectors: Telephone, Communications Services, Wireless Services, Billing/Data Services, and Communications Products. For more information about WRITE2k, NIBI or HTC visit www.nibinc.com and www.hickorytech.com.

About StratusWave Communications
StratusWave Communications is a public utility regulated by the West Virginia Public Service Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Ohio. It was established to provide business customers with a choice in local telephone service for northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio. StratusWave Communications utilizes their own state-of-the-art network with fiber-equivalent quality including fully integrated digital broadband to provide Internet, voice, data, and multimedia.

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