BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 27, 2005 – Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) today announced that its operating subsidiary is now providing Comcast with underlying backbone support for the rollout of its new voice service offering, Comcast Digital Voice, which enables voice communications using Internet protocol.
As Comcast begins the rapid deployment of Comcast Digital Voice across its national footprint, Level 3’s backbone support will allow the IP-based calls to travel along a privately managed network. This will extend the capability of Comcast’s existing private, advanced broadband network, allowing the IP-based voice service to enjoy quality that may not be available from non-facilities-based VoIP service providers.
“Level 3 continues to be an important partner and a company that we rely on to provide the infrastructure we need to offer reliable and innovative home phone services to our customers,” said Catherine Avgiris, senior vice president, finance and administration of Comcast Voice Services. “Level 3 is widely recognized as a leading enabler of advanced voice services and delivers the broad national coverage and demanding performance standards we require to continue delivering valuable products and services.”
“We’re pleased that Comcast has chosen Level 3 to provide backbone support for its Comcast Digital Voice rollout,” said Sureel Choksi, executive vice president of Services for Level 3. “We believe the market is poised for rapid adoption of innovative voice services and look forward to further supporting Comcast as it adds IP-based phone service to its leading suite of cable, entertainment and communications products and services.”
Level 3 and its Cable Partners
Level 3 is a leading provider of underlying network services to the top cable operators in the U.S. and Europe. Every day, millions of cable subscribers connect to the Internet, send and receive e-mails, watch TV programming and make and receive phone calls with the help of Level 3’s suite of services.
“In addition to our key VoIP services, we’re continuing to see strong demand from our cable partners for IP and transport services,” added Choksi. “As cable operators continue to expand into the residential phone market, and enhance their product portfolio to include more advanced and innovative entertainment and Internet services, they are demanding an increasingly reliable, scalable and cost-effective means to augment their existing plants. The Level 3 network was constructed to do just that, and can quickly scale to meet the cable industry’s increasing capacity needs while delivering a high-performance experience for their customers.”
Level 3 has been providing voice services since December 1999 to PTTs, inter-exchange carriers, enhanced service providers, cable operators and other companies. Today, Level 3 offers a broad suite of wholesale IP-based voice solutions for the residential and business markets over a robust softswitch-based network platform that reaches approximately 93 percent of the U.S. population and carries more than 30 billion minutes of IP-based data and voice calls every month.
For more information about Level 3’s broad portfolio of VoIP services, please visit www.Level3.com.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 21.5 million cable customers, 7.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 1.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.
The Company's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, Outdoor Life Network, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four Comcast SportsNets. The Company also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.
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.
