Level 3 Cites Milestones in Network Build

CarrierHotels News Staff

Dec. 20, 2000 -- Calling its global IP network "nearly complete," Level 3 Communications, Inc. said this week that it expects to see "significant increases" in traffic in the near future.
The Denver-based company said it now offers bandwidth services in more than 150 Internet and communications centers in North America, Europe and Asia, including 50 advanced Level 3 data centers and 100 data centers being leased from other providers.
Level 3 said its customer base has exceeded 2,400 communications intensive customers, including Akamai, Microsoft, EarthLink and Yahoo Broadcast.
"We've been very aggressive about extending the reach of our low-cost bandwidth services to communications intensive companies in facilities that give us the greatest opportunity to drive traffic onto our metropolitan, long-haul and undersea networks,'' said Lee Jobe, president of Global Operations for Level 3.
"With our network nearly complete and services available in more than 150 Internet and data communications centers, we expect to see significant increases in the amount of traffic traveling on our network," said Jobe.
The company cited its ability to leverage an advanced form of Ethernet technology to serve as a high-speed bridge between Level 3's own facilities and leased data centers, calling it central to the company's growth.
The CrossRoads EPOP (Ethernet Point of Presence) "enables communications intensive businesses to use high-speed Ethernet Internet access without colocating in a Level 3 data center,'' said Brian Horsfield, vice president of Global IP Services for Level 3. ``The EPOP service lowers bandwidth costs for bandwidth intensive companies by using an Ethernet interface, and by rewarding our customers for exchanging traffic on our network.''
Level 3 is a global communications and information services company offering a wide selection of IP-based services, primarily to communications intensive companies that deliver their services over the Level 3 Network.