SureWest Communications Selects General Bandwidth for Expansion of VoIP Service Solutions

Business Wire, Sept 7, 2004

AUSTIN, Texas -- Leading North American "Triple Play" Service Provider Deploys General Bandwidth's G6(R) VoIP Media Gateway to Drive Growth of VoIP Services over their All-IP Network

General Bandwidth, a leading Voice over IP equipment manufacturer enabling rapid deployment and new service revenue generation over broadband networks, announced today that integrated communications provider SureWest Communications (Nasdaq:SURW) will utilize General Bandwidth's G6(R) VoIP Media Gateway to deliver enhanced voice over IP services to residential and business broadband customers in the Sacramento/Roseville corridor. SureWest is among the largest U.S.-based providers of integrated voice, video and high-speed data serving more than 13,000 "triple play" customers over their DSL and fiber networks.

"Through extensive testing in the SureWest lab, we learned that the General Bandwidth G6 platform provides us with a more efficient and effective method of moving from a circuit to packet network," said Bill DeMuth, vice president and CTO, SureWest Communications. "As both residential and business customers begin to demand more of the triple play, VoIP, and other new services, we have found General Bandwidth's G6 platform to be a dependable solution as SureWest expands its triple play customer base."

Deployed by more than 40 service providers over a variety of access networks including variety of copper (T1/DSL), hybrid fiber coax (HFC), and fiber-based access architecture, the G6 VoIP Media Gateway delivers unmatched VoIP quality of service and carrier grade reliability. With the capability to simultaneously support VoIP services from multiple softswitches, SIP-based feature servers as well as legacy class 5 switches, the G6 platform provides a service migration platform from which new voice and media features can be deployed quickly.

"We are very happy with the collaboration that has taken place between us and SureWest to deliver the highest quality voice services to SureWest's integrated broadband customers," said Brendon Mills, President and CEO of General Bandwidth. "We are very pleased to be working with SureWest to ensure a seamless migration toward packet voice services across its expanding broadband network."

About SureWest

With 90 years in Northern California, SureWest and its family of companies represent an integrated network of highly reliable advanced communications products and services. SureWest provides digital TV, fiber optics, PCS wireless, DSL, high-speed Internet access, data transport, local and long distance telephone service, and directories with the highest standards of customer care. For more information, visit the SureWest Web site at www.surewest.com.

About General Bandwidth

General Bandwidth provides "Solutions for a VoIP World(TM)" with deployments across more than 40 domestic and international customers while enabling applications such as PacketCable(TM) cable telephony, VoIP Business Services, and SIP-based IP Centrex. General Bandwidth's flagship product, the PacketCable qualified G6(R) VoIP Media Gateway, delivers high quality, full-featured voice services over a wide variety of packet architectures, including hybrid fiber coax (HFC), FTTP, DSL, and T1. With the capability to simultaneously support voice services from next generation softswitches and Class 5 switches, the G6 platform is a highly scalable, fully redundant, and very flexible service migration platform from which new voice and media features can be deployed. www.genband.com

Trademark notes: G6 and General Bandwidth are registered trademarks of General Bandwidth Inc.