Cablevision's Optimum Online® Using Level 3 Services to Support Award-Winning High-Speed Internet Service
BROOMFIELD, Colo., December 12, 2002 - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) announced today that it is providing network services to Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC), one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies.
Cablevision will utilize Level 3 network services to help support Optimum Online, the company's top-rated high-speed cable modem offering, which serves customers throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
"Cablevision has seen tremendous success growing demand for its Optimum Online broadband Internet service, which has the highest market penetration of any cable modem service in the country," said Andrew Crouch, senior vice president of sales for Level 3. "We are very pleased to be partnering with Cablevision and look forward to helping them deliver the best possible online experience to their customers."
"Optimum Online continues to deliver a new standard for home Internet access to New York metropolitan area residents," said Gemma Toner, senior vice president, Optimum Online. "Reliable network performance is a key factor contributing to the quality of service that Optimum Online customers have come to expect. Our agreement with Level 3 will contribute to achieving this key objective."
Crouch noted that the emergence of cable modem as a dominant vehicle for delivering high-speed Internet access to the home means cable companies increasingly are looking to partner with Tier 1 Internet Service providers like Level 3. "Level 3 provides wholesale Internet access to the world's leading ISPs, MSOs and content providers and offers interconnection capacity with other Tier 1 IP backbones," Crouch said. "We believe that this kind of rich connectivity is critical to all cable providers who want to deliver high-quality broadband service to end users."
Level 3 operates a 10-gigabit IP backbone that spans 56 North American markets and 16 European markets and is accessible from more than 500 traffic aggregation points. Level 3 has achieved a superior cost structure and class of service capability by being the first network to leverage MPLS technology consistently throughout the core. Scalable interconnection capacity with every major IP backbone provider ensures uncongested connectivity to the global Internet.
Based in Bethpage, New York and launched in 1997, Cablevision's Optimum Online serves the New York metropolitan area and is the first in the nation to offer customers the convenience of a self-install option. In August 2002, Optimum Online was honored in PC Magazine's 15th Annual Reader Survey, earning a Readers' Choice Award, and is the only broadband ISP to receive an A+ rating by PC Magazine readers. With more than 680,000 customers and an average of 5,300 new subscribers signing on every week, Optimum Online has the highest market penetration of any cable modem service in the country. Optimum Online provides one of the fastest, always-on Internet connections for the home - offering access speeds up to 100 times faster than dial-up and up to four times faster than DSL. Optimum Online is available in many parts of Long Island, Connecticut, New York City, the Hudson Valley and New Jersey. Optimum Online subscribers also benefit from OptOnline.net, an online portal that provides a gateway to broadband content and multimedia programming.
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.
