Two-Year Contract for Two 2.5 Gbps Ports in London
Adds to Increasing List of Research and Academic Customers
Now Receiving Services from Level 3
London, 13 August 2002 - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) announced today it has been selected to provide UKERNA (UK Education and Research Networking Association) with Internet access services for the education and research community in the United Kingdom. Level 3 is providing two 2.5 Gbps ports from two diverse locations in London.
UKERNA operates a range of network services for the further education, higher education, and research communities in the UK. Those customers are all connected to the national JANET (the UK's education and research network) backbone. JANET in turn is connected to similar education and research networks across the world.
The two-year contract for (3)CrossRoads high-speed Internet access comes on the back of a number of other public sector and education and research Internet wins for Level 3. Level 3 provides network services - directly or indirectly through consortiums - to a number of other research and academic institutions including Harvard University, Corporation for Education Network Initiative in California (CENIC), the University of Washington, MCNC, National Center for Atmospheric Research, The Quilt, UCAID, BELNET, and SURFnet.
"We were determined to find high quality services and financially stable partners that would provide a robust, fully redundant and reliable connection for our global Internet service," states Robin Arak, chief executive of UKERNA.
"Our network is a vital resource for educational institutions and the research community in the UK, enabling them to communicate globally. Finding the right partners was crucial for us and we are delighted to be working with Level 3," concludes Arak.
"To be chosen by an organisation such as UKERNA to provide the connectivity to the global Internet is a great honour and testament to the reliability and technical excellence of our network," states Brady Rafuse, president of Level 3 Europe.
(3)CrossRoads provides connectivity to Level 3's IP network spanning the U.S. and Europe. The Level 3 IP network is uniquely positioned to deliver customers the highest quality of service through its robust, direct connectivity to the majority of the largest broadband and dial-up end users on the Internet.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT), an international communications company, operates one of the largest Internet backbones in the world, connecting 180 markets in 18 countries. The company serves a broad range of wholesale, enterprise and content customers with a comprehensive suite of services including: Internet Protocol (IP) services, broadband transport and infrastructure services, colocation services, voice and voice over IP services, content delivery and media distribution services. These services provide the building blocks to enable Level 3’s customers to meet their growing demands for advanced communications solutions. The company’s Web address is www.Level3.com.
"Level 3 Communications,” "Level 3," the red 3D brackets and the Level 3 Communications logo are registered service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. Level 3 services are provided by wholly owned subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc. Any other service, product or company names recited herein may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statement
Some of the statements that we make in this press release are forward looking in nature. These statements are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. These forward looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside our control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. The most important factors that could prevent us from achieving our stated goals include, but are not limited to our ability to: successfully integrate acquisitions; increase the volume of traffic on our network; defend our intellectual property and proprietary rights; develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; and meet all of the terms and conditions of our debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
