Mpower Upgrades Network with General Bandwidth Gateways for VoIP Business Services; G6® Universal Media Gateway Expands Mpower's VoIP Business Service Solutions

Business Wire, Oct 10, 2005

AUSTIN, Texas -- General Bandwidth, a leading Voice over IP equipment manufacturer enabling rapid deployment and new service revenue generation over broadband networks, announced today that Mpower Communications (AMEX:MPE), a leading provider of broadband Internet access and telephone services to business and wholesale customers, has deployed General Bandwidth's G6 Universal Media Gateway to expand its Voice over IP (VoIP) business services.

Mpower, a pioneer in the IP telephony field since 1999, is one of a growing number of leading service providers that have selected General Bandwidth as a key technology partner in support of its growing need to deliver innovative Voice over IP applications.

"Over the past five years we have experienced tremendous growth in the VoIP business services segment and are excited about the future prospects in this area. To further expand our service opportunities, Mpower has upgraded all six of our markets on the General Bandwidth G6 platform," commented Joe Wetzel, Mpower President and Chief Operating Officer. "The General Bandwidth platform provides robust product capabilities with an attractive cost structure that will assist in our expansion of quality VoIP services into the marketplace."

Built upon a fully redundant, custom-designed architecture supporting from 240 to 16,128 DS0s on a single chassis, the G6 Universal Media Gateway provides Mpower with a full suite of VoIP business services served from both their existing Class 5 switches as well as their next generation feature servers. These services include integrated voice and data solutions supporting 8 to 32 voice lines over a single access line, full support for PBX equipment over their IP network, and IP hosted PBX.

"We are very pleased to be working with Mpower as they seek to expand their base of VoIP business services," said Charles Vogt, President and CEO of General Bandwidth. "Given the increasingly competitive environment for business customers, the G6 platform gives service providers like Mpower the competitive edge they need as they move toward delivering next generation voice services."

About Mpower Communications

Founded in 1996, Mpower Communications (AMEX:MPE) is a leading facilities-based broadband communications provider offering a full range of data, telephony, Internet access and Web hosting services for small and medium-size business customers. Further information about the company can be found at www.mpowercom.com.

About General Bandwidth

General Bandwidth is a leading provider of Voice over IP infrastructure solutions spanning more than 60 service providers worldwide. General Bandwidth delivers broadband solutions addressing a full range of applications, including residential and business access, trunking and enhanced VoIP solutions. With twelve patents issued and sixteen pending, General Bandwidth's flagship G6 Universal Media Gateway and network management system are OSMINE, RUS, PacketCable(TM), and NEBS-3 certified, produced in a TL9000 quality system, and deployed in ILECs, RLECs, CLECs, and MSO networks worldwide. General Bandwidth was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Additional information on General Bandwidth is available at www.genband.com.

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