Document:

<PAGE>   1
               LIMITED WAIVER REGARDING CERTAIN CLOSING CONDITIONS

                                                            April 13, 2000

e.spire Communications, Inc.
12975 Worldgate Drive
Herndon, Virginia 20170

Attention:  Juliette Pryor
            General Counsel

Ladies and Gentlemen:

       Reference is made to those certain Purchase Agreements dated March 1,
2000 (the "Purchase Agreements"; capitalized terms defined therein being used
herein as defined therein), among e.spire Communications, Inc. (the "Company")
and each of (i) The Huff Alternative Income Fund, L.P. ("Huff"), (ii) Greenwich
Street Capital Partners II, L.P., GSCP Offshore Fund, L.P., Greenwich Fund,
L.P., Greenwich Street Employees Fund, L.P. and TRV Executive Fund, L.P.
(together, "Greenwich Street") and (iii) the Honeywell International Inc. Master
Retirement Fund ("Honeywell", together with Huff and Greenwich Street, the
"Investors").

       The Company has informed the Investors that (a) its financial results for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999 were significantly below
market-expectations and resulted in the Company's violation of its covenants in
the Credit Agreement, which caused the Company to be in default under the Credit
Agreement, (b) the Company has not been able to file its Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 on a timely basis (but will file it
within the timer period permitted by Rule 12b-25 of the Exchange Act) and (c)
the lenders under the Credit Agreement have waived the covenant violations in
clause (a) and certain other defaults pursuant to the attached waiver (the "Bank
Waiver"). Such events and defaults referred to in the previous sentence,
collectively, are referred to herein as the "December 31, 1999 Consequences, the
Company has informed the Investors that it will not be able to comply with
certain conditions set forth in Section 6 of the Purchase Agreements which must
be satisfied for the Investors to participate in the Final Closing and the
Company therefore seeks this limited waiver with respect to such conditions
solely to the extent the Company cannot comply therewith as a result of the
December 31, 1999 Consequences (the "Failed Conditions").

       The undersigned Investors hereby agree:
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       (1)    that the Failed Conditions are waived to the extent that such
              conditions will not be satisfied solely as a result of the
              December 31, 1999 Consequences; and

       (2)    to waive any and all right to terminate the Purchase Agreements
              pursuant to Section 10 thereof to the extent that the Investors
              may have a right to terminate the Purchase Agreements thereunder
              solely as a result of the December 31, 1999 Consequences.

       This waiver may be executed in any number of counterparts and by
different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so
executed and delivered shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts
together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. The waiver set forth
herein shall become effective upon the delivery to the Company and each Investor
of (i) counterparts hereof duly executed and delivered by each of the Investors
and (ii) the Bank Waiver duly executed and delivered by the requisite number of
lenders under the Credit Agreement.

       Except as expressly modified by this waiver, the Purchase Agreements
shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms, and the
Investors' obligation to consummate the Final Closing shall remain subject to
the satisfaction of all conditions contained in the Purchase Agreements. This
limited waiver is limited to the matters expressly stated herein and no other
matters and does not constitute a waiver of any other closing conditions or
rights of termination arising out of any other facts and circumstances other
than the December 31, 1999 Consequences.

       This limited waiver and the rights and obligations of the parties
hereunder shall be governed by, and shall be construed and enforced in
accordance with the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws
principles.

<PAGE>   3

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Waiver to be duly
executed and delivered by their respect officers thereunto duly authorized as of
the date first written above.

                                    INVESTORS:

                                    THE HUFF ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND, L.P.

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GREENWICH STREET CAPITAL PARTNERS II, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GSCP OFFSHORE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GREENWICH FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:
<PAGE>   4

                                    GREENWICH STREET EMPLOYEES FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    TRV EXECUTIVE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    THE HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. MASTER
                                    RETIREMENT TRUST

                                    By:  WRH TELECOM PARTNERS, L.L.C.

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:<PAGE>   1
                  AMENDMENT REGARDING FILING OF PROXY STATEMENT

                                                                  April 13, 2000

e.spire Communications, Inc.
12975 Worldgate Drive
Herndon, Virginia 20170

Attention:  Juliette Pryor
            General Counsel

Ladies and Gentlemen:

       Reference is made to those certain Purchase Agreements dated March 1,
2000 (the "Purchase Agreements"; capitalized terms defined therein being used
herein as defined therein), among e.spire Communications, Inc. (the "Company")
and each of (i) The Huff Alternatie Income Fund, L.P. ("Huff"), (ii) Greenwich
Street Capital Partners II, L.P., GSCP Offshore Fund, L.P., Greenwich Fund,
L.P., Greenwich Street Employees Fund, L.P. and TRV Executive Fund, L.P.
(together, "Greenwich Street") and (iii) the Honeywell International Inc. Master
Retirement Fund ("Honeywell", together with Huff and Greenwich Street, the
"Investors") and to the Certificate of Designation with respect to the Company's
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock.

       Under the Purchase Agreements, the Final Closing must occur within 100
days of the Initial Closing, and the Investors have the right to terminate the
Purchase Agreements if Stockholder Approval is not obtained within 100 days of
the Initial Closing or if the Final Closing does not occur for any other reason
within 100 days of the Initial Closing. In addition, the Company is required to
file a proxy statement and convene a meeting seeking Stockholder Approval as
soon as practicable. In addition, under Section 3(h) of the Certificate of
Designation, the dividend rate on the outstanding shares of Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock shall be increased if Stockholder Approval is not obtained
within 100 days following the Initial Closing.

       The undersigned Investors hereby agree with the Company that all
references in Sections 3(c), 10(a) and 13 of the Purchase Agreement to such 100
day period shall, from and after the date of execution of this agreement,
instead refer to a period of 150 days from and after the Issue Date. The
Investors, constituting all of the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred
Stock, further agree that the Company may amend the Certificate of Designation
to replace the references in Section 3(h) of the Certificate of Designation to
such 100 day period with references to a 150 day period.
<PAGE>   2

       This letter agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and
by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so
executed and delivered shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts
together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. The amendment set
forth herein shall become effective upon the delivery to the Company and each
Investor of duly executed counterparts hereof by each of the Investors and by
the Company.

       Except as expressly modified by this amendment, the Purchase Agreements
and Certificate of Designations shall remain in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms. This amendment is limited to the matters expressly
stated herein and no other matters and does not constitute a amendment of any
other provisions of such agreements and instruments. Notwithstanding this
amendment, the Investors' obligation to consummate the Final Closing shall
remain subject to the satisfaction of all other conditions contained in the
Purchase Agreements.

       This amendment and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder
shall be governed by, and shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Waiver to be duly
executed and delivered by their respect officers thereunto duly authorized as of
the date first written above.

                                    INVESTORS:

                                    THE HUFF ALTERNATIVE INCOME FUND, L.P.

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GREENWICH STREET CAPITAL PARTNERS II, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:
<PAGE>   3

                                    GSCP OFFSHORE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GREENWICH FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    GREENWICH STREET EMPLOYEES FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                    TRV EXECUTIVE FUND, L.P.

                                    By:  Greenwich Street Investors II,
                                    L.L.C., general partner

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

<PAGE>   4

                                    THE HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. MASTER
                                    RETIREMENT TRUST

                                    By:  WRH TELECOM PARTNERS, L.L.C.

                                    By:
                                         -------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

Acknowledged and agreed:

E.SPIRE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

By:
     -------------------------
       Name:
       Title:

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