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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1

                        WORLDPORT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

                                                  February 29, 2000

Mr. James L. Martin Jr.
2303 Noble Victory Court
Reston, Virginia 20191

Dear Jim:

  We are pleased to offer you employment with WorldPort Communications, Inc.
commencing March 1, 2000 (or such other date that we shall mutually agree upon)
on the following terms:

Position:        Director of European Operations and Chief Technology Officer to
                 be based in Dublin, Ireland. You shall devote all of your
                 business time and attention to the business and affairs of
                 WorldPort consistent with your position.

Term:            Three years from commencement date.

Salary:          US $280,000 per year

Annual Bonus:    You will be eligible to receive an annual bonus (payable within
                 45 days of fiscal year-end) of up to 40% of your annual base
                 salary based upon your achievement of performance and other
                 specific objectives established by the Board.

Sign-on Bonus:   US $70,000 payable in cash within 14 days of your acceptance of
                 this offer. If you voluntarily resign from your position on or
                 prior to the one year anniversary of the commencement date, you
                 will be required to repay this bonus within 30 days of your
                 resignation.

Options:         You will be granted options to purchase 650,000 shares of
                 WorldPort common stock at an exercise price of not less than
                 the fair market value of the common stock on the grant date,
                 which options will vest quarterly in 1/16th increments over the
                 four year period from the date of grant (and vest in full upon
                 your death) and shall otherwise be subject to the terms of
                 WorldPort's stock option plan and form of stock option
                 agreement.

Relocation
Expenses:        WorldPort will pay directly, or reimburse you for (upon
                 presentation of appropriate vouchers or receipts in accordance
                 with WorldPort's expense reimbursement policies) the following
                 reasonable costs and expenses relating to your relocation:

                (1) expenses of moving your possessions and immediate family
                members from Virginia to Ireland;

                (2) expenses of furnishing your new home in Ireland, not to
                exceed US $20,000;

                (3) airplane travel expenses (for business class travel) between
                Ireland and Virginia for you and your immediate family members
                for up to two trips per year;

                (4) tuition expenses for your children's secondary schooling in
                Ireland; and
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Mr. James L. Martin Jr.
February 29, 2000
Page 2


                (5) expenses of storing your household possessions that remain
                in the U.S.

Housing:        WorldPort will provide housing for you and your family in
                Ireland, such housing to be mutually agreed upon by WorldPort
                and you (it being understood that WorldPort will not be required
                to expend more than US $4,500 per month for such housing and
                related costs).

Automobile:     WorldPort will lease an automobile for your business use, such
                automobile to be mutually agreed upon by WorldPort and you (it
                being understood that WorldPort will not be required to expend
                more than US $1,000 per month for such automobile and related
                costs)

Insurance       Health insurance, including family coverage. In addition (to the
                extent that you are insurable and such policies can be purchased
                at reasonable rates), WorldPort will purchase and maintain (or
                reimburse you for, upon presentation of appropriate vouchers or
                receipts in accordance with WorldPort's expense reimbursement
                policies) a life insurance policy on your life in the amount of
                US $500,000, the beneficiary(ies) of which shall be designated
                by you, as well as a long-term disability policy; provided that
                WorldPort will not be required to expend more than US $6,200 in
                annual premiums for these two policies.

Vacation:       Four weeks paid vacation, not to be taken more than two weeks at
                a time and not to be carried over from year to year

Travel:         You will be expected to travel as the needs of the business may
                require.

Termination
Benefits:       In the event your employment is terminated by WorldPort without
                cause, other than due to your death or disability, you shall be
                paid, in full satisfaction of your rights against WorldPort for
                termination of your employment, a severance payment equal to one
                years' base salary, payable in a lump sum within 30 days of the
                termination date. In the event your employment is terminated due
                to cause, your death or a disability which prevents you from
                performing your duties for three consecutive months or 90 days
                within any one year period, you shall be paid only through the
                termination date.

Cause:          Your conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a
                                                        ---- ----------
                felony; gross negligence or willful misconduct in performing
                your duties; failure to comply with this Agreement in any
                material respect or failure to carry out appropriate
                responsibilities assigned by management or the Board of
                Directors; commission of fraud, theft against or embezzlement
                from WorldPort.

Non-Solicitation
Period:         You agree that, for one year after the termination of your
                employment, you will not solicit or hire any persons who are
                employed by or acting as a consultant to WorldPort during such
                period.
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Mr. James L. Martin Jr.
February 29, 2000
Page 3

Confidentiality:    You agree that you will, during and after the end of the
                    term of your employment, keep confidential all non-public
                    information concerning WorldPort and its business, except in
                    the business of and for the benefit of WorldPort, and you
                    will not, directly or indirectly, use for your own account
                    any of such information.

Remedies:           As you can understand, because we have to be protected,
                    WorldPort will be entitled, in addition to other remedies,
                    to obtain an injunction against any potential or actual
                    violations of your non-solicitation or confidentiality
                    agreements.

Taxes:              All compensation shall be subject to applicable withholding
                    taxes. WorldPort also will pay you an additional amount to
                    cover any foreign income taxes payable by you as a result of
                    your relocation to Ireland.

Governing Law:      Illinois

Representation:     You represent that your execution of this letter and your
                    performance of your obligations hereunder will not violate
                    the terms of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding,
                    order or decree to which you are a party or by which you are
                    bound.

     Please indicate your acceptance of the terms of this offer letter by your
signature below. Once signed by both parties, this offer letter shall be binding
on both parties. We look forward to your joining WorldPort and working with you
in building our exciting new venture.

                                   Sincerely,

                                   /s/ Carl J. Grivner

                                   Carl J. Grivner


Accepted and Agreed to
as of the date set forth above:

 /s/ James L. Martin
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James L. Martin