<PAGE>
                         AMENDMENT TO PLEDGE AGREEMENT
 
    AMENDMENT, dated as of October 2, 1996 (the "Amendment"), made by and
between The Alpine Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Marine Midland Bank, a New York banking corporation and trust company (the
"Trustee"), to the Pledge Agreement, dated as of July 21, 1995, between the
Company and the Trustee (the "Pledge Agreement").
 
    WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee have heretofore entered into the
Original Indenture, pursuant to the provisions of which the Company has
heretofore issued $153,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes;
 
    WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are simultaneously with the execution
hereof entering into a Supplemental Indenture in order to supplement and amend,
and to obtain the waiver of certain provisions under, the Original Indenture;
 
    WHEREAS, Section 902 of the Original Indenture provides that the Company and
the Trustee may amend the Pledge Agreement with the written consent of the
Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Notes;
 
    WHEREAS, Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of
the outstanding Notes have provided such written consent to the Trustee; and
 
    WHEREAS, all conditions and requirements necessary to authorize the
execution and delivery of this Amendment have been duly complied with or done
and performed by the Company, and all actions necessary to make this Amendment
valid, binding and legal instruments according to its terms have been complied
with or done and performed;
 
    NOW, THEREFORE, THIS AMENDMENT WITNESSETH that, for and consideration of the
premises and of the mutual covenants herein contained and for other valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the
Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee as follows:
 
    Section 1. The definitions set forth or incorporated by reference in the
Original Indenture and the Pledge Agreement shall be applicable to this
Amendment as fully and to the same extent and effect as if set forth herein,
except as otherwise expressly provided herein. As used in this Amendment, the
term "Original Indenture" shall mean the Indenture, dated as of July 15, 1995,
among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee, with respect to
the Notes.
 
    Section 2. Schedule I to the Pledge Agreement is deleted and replaced in its
entirety by Schedule I to this Amendment. The Collateral listed on Schedule I to
the Pledge Agreement that is not listed on Schedule I to this Amendment is and
shall be released from the assignment and security interest granted by the
Pledge Agreement. The Trustee shall, at the Pledgor's expense, execute and
deliver to the Pledgor such documents as the Pledgor shall reasonably request to
evidence such release. The Company hereby pledges to the Trustee for its benefit
and the ratable benefit of the holders, and grants to the Trustee for its
benefit and the ratable benefit of the Holders, a continuing first priority
security interest in all of its right, title and interest in the Capital Stock
listed on Schedule I, as amended, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event the
Company desires to use any cash paid in redemption of the preferred stock of
Superior Telecommunications Inc. listed on Schedule 1 to acquire shares of
common stock of Superior TeleCom Inc., all as contemplated by the Statement (as
defined below), then (a) the Company shall give notice thereof to the Trustee
setting forth the amount of cash to be so used and the date on which such cash
is required, (b) such cash shall be released by the Trustee from the pledge
under the Pledge Agreement and paid to the Company in accordance with
instructions provided to the Trustee by the Company, and (c) the Company shall
promptly deliver and pledge the shares so acquired to the Trustee for its
benefit and the ratable benefit of the Holders as Collateral.
 
    Section 3. This Amendment is an amendment to the Pledge Agreement pursuant
to Section 902 of the Original Indenture. Upon execution and delivery of this
Amendment, the terms and conditions of this Amendment shall be part of the terms
and conditions of the Pledge Agreement for any and all purposes,
<PAGE>
and all the terms and conditions of both shall be read together as though they
constitute one instrument, except that in case of conflict, the provisions of
this Amendment will control.
 
    Section 4. This Amendment shall become effective no earlier than the
Acceptance Date, as such term is defined in the Offer to Purchase and Consent
Solicitation Statement, dated August 29, 1996, of the Company, as amended (the
"Statement)".
 
    Section 5. Except as they have been modified in this Amendment, each and
every term and provision of the Pledge Agreement shall continue in full force
and effect, and all references to the Agreement in the Pledge Agreement shall
hereafter be deemed to mean the Pledge Agreement as amended pursuant hereto.
 
    Section 6. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to be an original,
but which counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
 
    Section 7. This Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the law of the State of New York as applied to agreements among New York
residents entered into and to be performed entirely within New York.
 
    Section 8. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for
or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Amendment or for or in
respect of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely
by the Company.
 
                              [SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
 
                                       2
<PAGE>
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly
executed as of the date first written above.
 
                                THE ALPINE GROUP, INC.
 
                                By:              /s/ BRAGI F. SCHUT
                                     ------------------------------------------
                                                   Bragi F. Schut
                                              Executive Vice President
 
                                MARINE MIDLAND BANK,
                                AS TRUSTEE
 
                                By:               /s/ FRANK GODINO
                                     ------------------------------------------
                                                    Frank Godino
                                              Assistant Vice President
 
                                      S-1
<PAGE>
                                   SCHEDULE I
 
                                 PLEDGED STOCK
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                              STOCK                  PERCENTAGE OF
                                       CLASS OF                            CERTIFICATE  NUMBER OF     OUTSTANDING
STOCK ISSUER                             STOCK           PAR VALUE            NO(S)       SHARES        SHARES
------------------------------------  -----------  ----------------------  -----------  ----------  ---------------
<S>                                   <C>          <C>                     <C>          <C>         <C>
Adience, Inc........................  Common       $1.00 per share              No. 1           10           100%
Superior TeleCom Inc................  Common       $.01 per share               No. 1    6,024,048           100%
Superior Telecommu-
  nications Inc.....................  Preferred    $1.00 per share            No. B-1       20,000           100%
</TABLE>