XO Communications Signs GANNETT to Multi-Year Network Services Agreement; Solutions Dramatically Reduce Cost and Enhance Productivity

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 2004--XO Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:XOCM.OB), one of the nation's leading providers of broadband telecommunications services, today announced that it has signed a multi-year network services agreement with GANNETT (NYSE:GCI), the United States' largest newspaper group in terms of paid circulation (7.7 Million), including USA Today, the nation's largest selling newspaper.

Under the terms of the agreement, XO will provide critical links on GANNETT's network backbone between its east and west coast data centers. XO will also provide GANNETT with Dedicated Internet Access/Gigabit Ethernet connections that will be the means over which GANNETT will receive and disseminate multimedia and other news information on a global basis. The contract was the result of an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process initiated by GANNETT.

According to GANNETT, in addition to reducing network expenses on select key segments, XO's services will help enhance productivity by increasing communications and data transmission capacity. XO's flexible offering, network topology and customer support were among other important factors in GANNETT's final decision-making process. GANNETT anticipates that XO services will significantly enhance the transmission speed of text, pictures, reports, email, video, music and other areas of multimedia.

"A contract of this magnitude always attracts the largest and most capable telecommunications providers," said John Jacquay, president of Business Market Sales at XO Communications. "Adding GANNETT to the growing list of large businesses that have chosen XO as a telecommunications partner further underscores the strength of our capabilities and services to enterprise customers throughout the United States."

XO Communications is a leading broadband telecommunications services provider offering a complete set of telecommunications services, including: local and long distance voice, Internet access, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), Ethernet, Wavelength, Web Hosting and Integrated voice and data services.

XO has assembled an unrivaled set of facilities-based broadband networks and Tier One Internet peering relationships in the United States. XO currently offers facilities-based broadband telecommunications services within and between more than 70 markets throughout the United States.

GANNETT Co., Inc. is a leading international news and information company that publishes 100 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns almost 500 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. GANNETT subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom's second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquest publishes more than 300 titles, including 17 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning Web sites. GANNETT also operates 22 television stations in the United States covering 17.8 percent of the USA. GANNETT is an Internet leader with more than 100 web sites in the United States including USATODAY.com, one of the top newspaper sites on the Internet. Newsquest's award-winning Web network has more than 80 sites in the United Kingdom.