BROOMFIELD, Colo., April 17, 2003 - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) announced today that Arun Netravali has been named to the company's Board of Directors effective April 16, 2003.
Mr. Netravali was Chief Scientist for Lucent Technologies and in this role worked with academic and investment communities to identify and implement important new networking technologies. Previously he was President of Bell Labs as well as Lucent's Chief Technology Officer and Chief Network Architect. Bell Labs serves as the research and development arm behind Lucent, designs products and services that are at the forefront of communications technology, and conducts fundamental research in fields important to communications.
In 2002, Mr. Netravali was honored by being named a recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and was cited by President George W. Bush for his technological expertise and pioneering contributions to transform TV from analog to digital, enabling numerous broadcast services, including multimedia over the Internet. In 2001, he received the Padma Bhushan Award, one of the highest civilian honors from the President of India.
"We are extremely pleased that Arun has agreed to join the Level 3 board," said James Q. Crowe, Level 3's chief executive officer. "He is one of the true technology leaders and pioneers in the field of networking technology. It is an honor to have Arun joining our Board, and I know that he will add a great deal to both our strategic view and technological planning going forward."
"I have worked with Jim Crowe and Level 3 for many years and have tremendous respect for him and his team," said Mr. Netravali. "I look forward to joining the Board and working with them and senior management in pursuing Level 3's leadership objectives and goals as it enters a new phase of growth and develops new communications products and services to optimize the capabilities of its advanced network."
Mr. Netravali is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. He has received Japan's Computers and Communications award, IEEE's Kilby medal for Signal Processing, and Bell medal for Communications.
With the addition of Mr. Netravali, the Level 3 Board of Directors now has 14 members. Mr. Netravali will join Class III of Level 3's Board of Directors. The term of the Class III directors expires at the 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
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.
