HALIFAX, NS,Dec. 14 2001 --Aliant Inc. announced today that its Board
of Directors has appointed Roch Dubé as President, Aliant Telecom, effective
December 17, 2001. In addition to his new position, Mr. Dubé will serve as
Executive Vice President, Aliant Inc.
    Mr. Dubé joins Aliant with a proven track record of leadership and
excellence in the telecommunications and information technology sectors. Most
recently, as President and CEO, he led the creation of Connexim, a leading
outsourcing company in telecommunications network and desktop management
headquartered in Montréal. Previously, he has held senior leadership positions
with Bell Canada and Bell Sygma (presently CGI).
    "With proven strengths in developing services for broadband IP networks,
Mr. Dubé will be a great addition to Aliant Telecom as we increasingly
transform our company to capitalize on the growth opportunities presented by
converging networks," said Stephen Wetmore, President and CEO, Aliant Inc.
"His combination of leadership, vision and operational focus will ensure that
Aliant Telecom accelerates the integration of its operations to realize
increased value, while remaining competitive and customer focused as Atlantic
Canada's leading telecommunications company."
    A native of Baie-Comeau, Québec, Mr. Dubé began his career in the
telecommunications industry with Bell Canada in 1979, where he has held
increasingly responsible positions over the past 22 years. During his tenure,
he has led teams in engineering, customer services, technology planning,
finance, operations and information systems. He holds a bachelor of
engineering from Université de Montréal, in addition to having participated in
the Executive MBA programs of McGill and Stanford Universities. He has
received several honors and awards for his business and academic
accomplishments, including the award of excellence in Engineering 2000 from
Université de Montréal and honorary chairman of the 1999 International
Industrial Engineering Conference.
    Mr. Dubé is active in economic and business development within his
community, having served as chairman on several boards, including the Board of
Trustees of the Québec Chapter of Kids Help Phone, of which he was the founder
in 1996 and nominated Volunteer of the year for 2001.
    Aliant Inc. (AIT-TSE) is one of Canada's leading high-tech companies,
providing integrated communications and IT solutions through subsidiary
companies operating worldwide. By combining industry-leading expertise from
across the group of companies, Aliant utilizes the Aliant Premium(TM) model to
deliver unique, end-to-end solutions to customers. With 10,000 employees and a
market capitalization of almost $5 billion, Aliant ranks in the top 100
publicly traded companies in the country.

    /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available
    on the Canadian Press Photo Network/
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For further information: contact: Deanna Gallaway, Director,
Communications & Public Affairs, Aliant Telecom, 1-866-487-4830, email:
Deanna.Gallaway@Aliant.ca