Gateway Communications Rescues Carriers and Customers During NITEL Strike; IPJetDirect provides connectivity for business continuity.

M2 PRESSWIRE-30 January 2009-Gateway Communications: Gateway Communications Rescues Carriers and Customers During NITEL Strike; IPJetDirect provides connectivity for business continuity(C)1994-2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:30012009

London / Lagos -- Gateway Communications, a leading provider of African telecommunications services, is offering its customers, cut off by the ongoing NITEL strike, an alternative connectivity solution.

The strike by employees of NITEL (Nigerian Telecommunications) and its mobile communication arm, Mobile Telecom (Mtel) has left customers using SAT3 cables no connectivity, leaving businesses unable to trade, and additional congestion on other networks. Internet users and international corporate users have all been affected by the shut down of Nigeria's only international fibre optic cable.

Gateway's IPJetDirectprovides direct, high speed, low latency connections to the global internet backbone. Using satellite connectivity, IPJetDirect will allow its corporate customers and Nigerian operators to connect their mobile or fixed network to the World Wide Web while guaranteeing high availability and a high quality connection through Gateway's world-class SLA.

Gateway, the largest independent provider of satellite capacity in Africa, purchased additional C-Band capacity on MEASAT Satellite Systems' AFRICASAT-1 satellite in September 2008.

"NITEL provides a major international link from Nigeria to the world through the SAT-3 Cable infrastructure", said Steve Chapman, Commercial Director - Business Servicesat Gateway Communications. "Gateway is one of the few companies that can provide the choice, flexibility and speed of implementing communications across wireless, fibre or cable, and can transition applications easily, migrating to another network. It's because of this that our Nigerian customers can rest assured that we can ensure quality connections are retained and actively managed for their domestic, national and international connectivity needs."

About Gateway Communications

Gateway Communications owns and operates the largest and most advanced pan-African communications network, with customers in 40 African countries.

Established in 2001, Gateway Communications has been responsible for pioneering the delivery of high quality, cost effective voice, data and e-commerce services throughout the continent. Gateway Communications has developed the local presence, skills and expertise combined with the global infrastructure and relationships to uniquely meet the voice and data communications needs of local telecommunications operators and businesses operating within Africa.

CONTACT: Tom Tudor, Gateway CommunicationsTel: +44 (0)20 7173 1700e-mail: Tom.Tudor@gatewaycomms.comTim Newbold, africapracticeTel: +234 1496 7558e-mail: tnewbold@africapractice.comAli Merifield, Director, Corporate Communications, africapracticee-mail: amerifield@africapractice.comTel: +27 11 782 6468Tel: +27 824 257 032

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