22 October 2004; Pan-African communications company Gateway Communications has extended an existing partnership with Telecom Namibia to include an interconnection for international services.

Telecom Namibia operates a fully-fledged digital telecommunications network providing fixed-line and fixed-mobile telephony, data and value added services, IP Access to ISPs and its own ISP known as IWAY, as well as the backbone transmission infrastructure for GSM mobile services for its sister company, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC). The new service will allow Telecom Namibia to grow revenues by working with Gateway to increase the volume of international telephone calls terminated via their fixed-line and MTC's mobile networks. Gateway maintains an extensive international presence and is interconnected to a significant number of international and African carriers, including traditional PTT carriers and non-traditional sources of traffic such as mobile telephone operators and the international calling-card market. Gateway will work with Telecom Namibia to expand low-cost connectivity between Namibia and international telephone networks and preventing telephone calls from by-passing Telecom Namibia's international switch. The service will also lower the cost of outbound calls from Namibia to key international destinations through Gateway's targeted Route Management Services.

The new agreement will see Gateway Communications establish an international link between Namibia and the United Kingdom to connect their respective telephone networks for the switching of international telephone traffic. Gateway Communications will install equipment at Telecom Namibia's premises in Windhoek and utilise dedicated satellite capacity to ensure that Telecom Namibia's subscribers and Gateway's customers are provided with a high quality service. By adopting this approach, Gateway is able to deliver the cost-savings of Voice over IP technology with the quality of the existing traditional telephone network in Namibia.