12/11/2001

Nationwide Q-Dial - The QSC Internet Christmas surprise

Cologne, 11 December 2001 - Cologne-based broadband specialist QSC AG announces the launch of its nationwide dial-up service. As from today, users who live in areas not yet covered by QSC´s DSL network can use Q-Dial to access the Internet from anywhere in Germany. Q-Dial uses the tried and proven dial-up platform provided by QSC subsidiary GINKO AG. GINKO received a "very good" rating from German consumer watchdog organisation Stiftung Warentest in October this year. Ginko´s core expertise allows QSC to provide, next to its Q-DSL products, a top quality Internet dial access service.

Q-Dial users are charged at a fixed rate of 1.5 cents (2.93 pfennigs) per minute online, and, after the first minute, are billed on a per second basis. There are no dial-up charges and no monthly subscription fees. Every Q-Dial customer gets an e-mail account. QSC´s solid customer service and product reliability, make Q-Dial the ideal Internet access service for mobile workers, homeworkers, residential customers and online gamers. The service can be accessed via modem or ISDN from any fixed-network phone line in Germany. Access is provided via a single, toll-free, nationwide access number. And, for an extra 1.50 euros per month, users can receive SMS notification of incoming e-mails. All prices stated are inclusive of VAT. Registration forms and further product information are available at www.q-dial.de, or by calling 01805-734258 (calls charged at 0.12 EUR/min.)

Background QSC AG (QSC) is a professional DSL provider in Germany. This technology makes efficient use of the 'last mile' on the basis of unbundled network access, thus multiplying data traffic speeds by a factor of several times compared with standard subscriber connections. QSC offers its business and residential customers broadband 'always-on' connections to the Internet, with up and downstream data transfer rates beginning at 144 Kbps and going up to 2.3 Mbps. The company´s broadband network covers the 40 largest cities in Germany and reaches more than 20 million potential users. Since April 2000, QSC has been listed on the Neuer Markt [QSC] segment of the Frankfurt stock exchange and the New York Nasdaq [QSCG]. The company´s IPO increased the equity capital by more than EUR 280 million to over EUR 420 million.

GINKO Gesellschaft für Internet-Kommunikation was founded in 1997 by Dr Klaus Langner, Roland Hänel and Thomas Schewe. Dr Langner set up GINKO after a 15-year stint as Managing Director and shareholder of Aachen-based data communications and computer graphics company ELSA. GINKO became a public limited company (AG) in January 2001, and has been a subsidiary of QSC AG since May 2001. The company´s core business lies in the provision of fast Internet access to businesses and residential customers. GINKO´s 2001-Wählzugang dial-up service was rated as "very good" by German consumer watchdog organisation Stiftung Warentest in October 2001. GINKO AG also provides high-performance full-service packages for business customers.

QSC AG
Uta Teigel
Corporate Communications
Tel.: 0221/6698-281
Fax: 0221/6698-289
E-Mail: presse@qsc.de

GINKO AG
Sylvia Kieven-Bräutigam
Oligsbendengasse 12-14
52070 Aachen
Tel.: 0241-4410-144
Fax: 0241-4410-441
Email: presse@ginko.de
Web: www.ginko.de