WASHINGTON, March 20, 2000 -- Kevin Joseph has joined Allegiance Telecom, Inc. as vice president of government affairs and will be based in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Joseph was vice president of congressional and regulatory affairs at AT&T where he was responsible for public policy issues affecting the AT&T broadband services unit. Prior to AT&T, Joseph was senior minority counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. His responsibility included legislative and regulatory oversight for all communications issues, including common carrier, broadcast, cable and spectrum-related issues. His career coincided with the early congressional debates that eventually led to the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the implementation of the Act by the Federal Communications Commission. In addition, he managed the Senate confirmation process for the five current FCC commissioners.

"Kevin Joseph brings over 14 years of experience in government and the telecommunications industry with an 11-year career spanning the House and Senate committees responsible for telecommunications legislation, " said Royce J. Holland, chairman and chief executive officer of Allegiance Telecom. "As a respected veteran of the congressional battles to open the local monopolies to competition, Kevin's experience and strategic insight will be a welcome addition to our team."

Joseph is a 1986 graduate of Georgetown University and a 1995 graduate of Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Based in Dallas, Allegiance Telecom is a facilities-based competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) that offers businesses a complete package of telecommunications services, including local, long distance, international calling, high-speed data transmission and Internet services. Allegiance is currently operational in 20 U.S. markets and is targeting 36 major metropolitan areas with its "one-stop shopping" approach. The Company's web address is: www.allegiancetele.com. Allegiance's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ALGX.