MTS Allstream Receives North American Leadership Award for Television
Services from Frost & Sullivan

Stock Symbol: MBT

WINNIPEG , Dec. 1 /CNW/ - MTS Allstream Inc. ("MTS Allstream") is pleased to announce that it has been recognized with the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Leadership for performance in the North American video market.

Frost & Sullivan selected MTS Allstream for its use of effective competitive strategies in the development and launch of its digital television service, MTS Ultimate TV. Citing the recent launch of MTS Ultimate TV, Frost & Sullivan lauded MTS Allstream's use of innovation and competitive intelligence to provide superior value, drive customer satisfaction and gain market share.

"Cable and satellite video providers have the majority of the market share, creating difficulty for telco providers to grow in the video market," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, Gina Villanueva . "Competitive strategies need to be utilized to help a company stand out as a leader. With their high quality video services MTS Allstream has successfully stood apart and ahead of its competition."

"MTS Allstream is proud to receive this recognition for our achievements in delivering television services to our customers in Manitoba," said Kelvin Shepherd , President Consumer Markets division, MTS Allstream. "MTS Ultimate TV's Whole Home PVR is unparalleled in Canada . MTS Ultimate TV was developed to provide customers with the choice, quality and flexibility they value."

MTS Ultimate TV combines technology from Alcatel-Lucent Canada and the award winning Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television software platform. MTS Ultimate TV service provides customers with a feature-rich television experience including Whole Home PVR functionality - a new, more-advanced PVR that is capable of recording up to three programs at the same time and playing back programs from any connected television in a subscriber's home.

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.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

For further information: Media: Jill Gibson, MTS Allstream Corporate Communications, [phone], [email protected]; Jake Wengroff, Frost & Sullivan, [phone], [email protected]