EXHIBIT 99.1

                NETWORK PLUS FILES VOLUNTARY CHAPTER 11 PETITION

     RANDOLPH,  Mass.,  Feb.  5, 2002  (BUSINESS  WIRE) -- Network  Plus  Corp.,
(NPLS), announced today that it, along with its operating subsidiary,  has filed
a  voluntary   petition  with  the  U.S.   Bankruptcy   Court  in  Delaware  for
reorganization  under Chapter 11 of the U.S.  Bankruptcy Code. The Company is in
current   discussions   with  its  existing   secured  bank  lenders  to  obtain
debtor-in-possession  financing  to enable the  Company to  continue  to operate
while it seeks to  conduct  an  auction  to find a buyer for its  business.  The
Company is also  seeking  from its  secured  bank  lenders the right to use cash
collateral.  If the Company is unable to timely identify an acceptable  Buyer or
is unable to work out acceptable  arrangements with its secured bank lenders and
other creditors, the Company will seek to keep operating for as long as possible
while it explores all alternatives.

The Company's  secured bank lenders  include Fleet National Bank,  Goldman Sachs
Credit Partners L.P., Netplus Funding, Inc. (an affiliate of DLJ) and IBM Credit
Corporation.

Network Plus currently  serves in excess of 300,000 local access lines,  300,000
long  distance  lines and  thousands  of data lines,  and reaches  approximately
75,000 customers and has significant  penetration of its markets ranging as high
as an estimated 7.4%. Robert T. Hale, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer
of Network Plus, said,  "This was a very difficult  decision.  However,  at this
time,  we believe that our actions are in the best  interests of our  creditors,
employees and customers."

ABOUT NETWORK PLUS

Network Plus is a network-based integrated communications provider headquartered
in Randolph, Massachusetts. Network Plus offers telecommunications and broadband
data services, primarily to small and medium-sized business customers located in
major markets in the Northeastern and Southeastern regions of the United States.
The Company's  bundled product offerings include local and long distance service
as well as enhanced, high-speed data and Internet services. For more information
on   Network   Plus   Corp.,    please   visit   the   Company's    website   at
www.networkplus.com.

OF NOTE

This press release  includes certain  forward-looking  statements that involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. For this purpose, any statement that is not a
statement  of  historical  fact,  including  without  limitation  any  statement
concerning the  anticipated  impact of the Chapter 11 petition,  availability of
capital, and any statement using the term "anticipates,"  "expects," "believes,"
"intends" or any similar expression, is a forward-looking  statement.  Among the
important  factors that could cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from
those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the impact of the Chapter
11 filing on the Company's business,  including the potential loss of customers,
employees  and  suppliers,  the  inability of Network Plus to obtain  additional
funding in sufficient  amounts and on acceptable  terms or at all, the inability
of Network Plus to use cash collected in its business,  the inability of Network
Plus  to  find  a  buyer  for  its  business,  Network  Plus'  future  financial
performance  and  condition  and the other  factors set forth in its most recent
report on Form 10-Q and other  reports  filed with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission.  Network Plus  undertakes no  obligation  to update the  information
contained  on its  website or in this  release,  to review or confirm  analysts'
expectations   or  estimates  or  to  release   publicly  any   revisions  to  a
forward-looking  statement  to reflect  events or  circumstances  after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

CONTACT:      Network Plus Corp.
              Investor Contact: Robert Cobuzzi
              rcobuzzi@nwp.com
              (781) 473-5000