ADC (Nasdaq: ADCT; www.adc.com) a leading global supplier of network equipment, software and integration services for broadband multiservice networks, today announced it will further its efforts in supporting minority suppliers by signing the Telecommunications Industry Supplier Diversity Challenge.

The Diversity Challenge, developed by the Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG), directs the telecommunication industry’s focus on the use of small supply businesses owned by minorities, women and disabled veterans. Such companies, by definition, are any for-profit enterprise, regardless of the size, that is at least 51 percent owned, controlled and operated by an ethnic minority, a woman or a disabled veteran.

ADC is proud to join the ranks of such companies as SBC, Nortel, Alcatel, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, CDTI, Fujitsu, Graybar, GTE, Lucent, Motorola, Siemens and Qwest in signing the agreement.

By doing so, the participating companies have agreed it is critical for the health of the industry that all parts of society be included in the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy.

The challenge states:

"Supplier Diversity is an important initiative within the telecommunications industry. As our companies expand communications capabilities throughout the world, we plan to continue our long history of including and developing minority-owned, women-owned and disabled veteran-owned suppliers ("M/W/DVBEs") in the telecommunications supply chain."

ADC has a rich tradition of diversity with minority- or women-owned businesses. ADC’s written philosophy regarding diversity states that such businesses make valuable contributions to the company by offering innovative resources and expertise, which helps to further enhance the company’s competitive position. In last calendar year, ADC had nearly 400 minority suppliers and M/W/DVBE value added resellers (VARs) representing more than $35 million in combined supply-side purchasing dollars and channel sales to customers.

At the recent signing of the challenge, Lynn Davis, President of ADC’s Broadband Connectivity Group, said, "ADC is recognized for innovation and excellence in its products and operations. Taking on the Diversity Challenge is important to us because it represents a unique combination of good corporate citizenship and good business practice. Broadening our excellent supplier base with additional highly qualified business partners is good for us and our customers."

About ADC

ADC is The Broadband Company™. ADC's network equipment, software and integration services make broadband communications a reality worldwide by enabling communications service providers to deliver high-speed Internet, data, video and voice services to homes and businesses. ADC (Nasdaq: ADCT) has annual sales of over $2.8 billion and employs more than 20,900 people worldwide. ADC's stock is included in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index. Learn more about ADC Telecommunications, Inc. at www.adc.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding ADC Telecommunications' business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most-recently ended fiscal year.

PO Box 1101, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1101, Phone: 612.938.8080, Fax: 612.946.3292, web site: www.adc.com

ADC Telecommunications

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