One of the UK's Largest Internet Service Providers Purchases Dedicated Internet Access in London
LONDON, April 10, 2003 - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) announced today that it has signed an agreement to provide Internet access service in London to PlusNet Technologies Ltd., one of the largest ISPs in the UK. PlusNet is backed by Insight Enterprises Inc., a Fortune 1000 company.
Under the terms of the agreement, PlusNet will use (3)CrossRoads, a wholesale IP transit service that connects Level 3's customers and network in the U.S. and Europe with the networks that comprise the public Internet.
"We chose Level 3 because its IP network gives us the premium quality, reliability and scalability we require for our increasing traffic load," said Alistair Wyse, technical director for PlusNet. "Level 3's financial stability also weighed heavily in our decision."
"PlusNet is one of the most successful and innovative ISPs in the UK," stated Brady Rafuse, president of Level 3 in Europe. "We're pleased that PlusNet has chosen Level 3 as a network partner, and look forward to working with them to help deliver their wide range of superior Internet services."
Level 3 operates a 10-gigabit IP backbone that spans 57 North American markets and 16 European markets, and is accessible from more than 550 traffic aggregation points.
In a recent ISP backbone test conducted for Network World magazine, Level 3's core IP network delivered 100 percent uptime, one of only three networks to do so. Test results also revealed that Level 3 achieved zero percent packet loss, and average jitter of only 13 microseconds. While no formal ranking of backbone was issued, Level 3's IP network proved to be one of the best performing networks on each of the tests conducted.
About PlusNet
PlusNet Technologies is a major ISP whose target market within the UK is the experienced consumer and business user. PlusNet is part of the Insight Enterprises Inc. group (Nasdaq ref NSIT), a Fortune 1000 "one of the 100 fastest growing businesses in the U.S." company. PlusNet is led by key people who have been involved in the ISP industry for many years.
Through advanced levels of automation and customer self service, PlusNet consistently beats other ISP offerings for quality and value-add whilst also remaining competitive in terms of mass market price expectancies. Established in 1997, PlusNet is an independent ISP with its own in-house customer support, application development and network operations centre resources that employs over 80 co-workers.
In addition to Internet Service Provision, PlusNet also provides Web Services solutions, fully managed and unmanaged "ASP style" partnerships / joint-ventures, and also reseller solutions. See its website for further information, www.plus.net.
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.
