Covad Takes the Gold in Industry Advertising Awards

Named “Best B2B Campaign” and “Best Search Engine Marketing Campaign” by Interactive Advertising Bureau and Adweek Magazine

San Jose, Calif. (Oct. 5, 2006) – Covad Communications Group, Inc. (AMEX:DVW), a leading national provider of integrated voice and data communications, announced today it has won two of the advertising industry’s most prestigious awards. In an awards ceremony held by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Adweek at Gotham Hall in New York City on September 26, Covad took home:
* The Gold Award as winner of the IAB and Adweek MIXX award for the “Best B2B Campaign.” Advertising agency GJP Advertising of San Francisco submitted
Covad’s groundbreaking “The Ringing” campaign, which was one of the first advertising campaigns to feature voice over IP targeted to small-to-medium businesses.
* The Gold Award as winner of the IAB and Adweek MIXX award for the “Best Search Engine Marketing Campaign.” Search marketing agency Fathom Online of San Francisco submitted Covad’s voice over IP campaign, which was selected over campaigns by Honda, Pontiac, and PresentationEngine.com Covad was also named a finalist in Adweek’s Buzz Awards for the “Best Internet Campaign.” Covad’s “The Ringing” campaign competed against a diverse field of leading companies such as CareerBuilder.com and Virgin Digital.

“It is a true honor to be selected as the winner and finalist for these awards,” said
Debbie Jo Severin, Covad vice-president of marketing. “Working with our creative agencies, Covad pushed the envelope in adopting edgy ideas and driving quality executions. These wins illustrate the innovative and market-leading approach Covad undertakes in everything it does.”
After electrifying the market and introducing voice over IP with its awarenessbuilding
“The Ringing” advertising campaign, Covad has achieved substantial success in reaching out to its target customers, small businesses, with clever and attention-grabbing search engine marketing campaigns. Covad has been named the market share leader in business-class hosted VoIP for the past three years by market research firm In-Stat. The company recently launched ClearEdge Office, the first combined Voice over IP and high-speed Internet offering built specifically for businesses with fewer than twenty employees, a development praised by Network World in a recent article, “We applaud Covad for going after this underserved market - bringing a business-grade VoIP service to the small business customer.”

According to its Web site, the Interactive Advertising Bureau is the only association dedicated to helping online, interactive broadcasting, email, wireless and interactive television media companies increase their revenues. Adweek is a global resource for news related to the advertising industry. Together these companies sponsor the
MIXX awards, which recognize excellence in interactive advertising, and the Buzz awards, which are given to advertising campaigns that demonstrate excellence in integrating brands and media.
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About Covad
Covad is a leading nationwide provider of integrated voice and data communications. The company offers DSL, Voice Over IP, T1, Web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, wireless broadband, and bundled voice and data services directly through Covad’s network and through Internet Service Providers, value-added resellers, telecommunications carriers and affinity groups to small and medium-sized businesses and home users. Covad broadband services are currently available across the nation in 44 states and 235 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and can be purchased by more than 57 million homes and businesses, which represent over 50 percent of all US homes and businesses. Corporate headquarters is located at 110 Rio Robles San Jose, CA 95134. Telephone: 1-888-GO-COVAD. Web Site:
www.covad.com.

Contact Information

Michael Doherty

Media Contact

Covad Communications Group, Inc.

Contact via E-mail