Level 3 to Provide Additional Services to America Online in U.S. and Europe

[NewsDesk]

Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:LVLT) today announced customer agreements to provide America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, with a range of additional services in the U.S. and Europe.

In a new agreement, America Online expanded its use of Level 3's colocation services in the U.S. and Europe. Also, under recent agreements, Level 3 is now providing America Online with 10 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) wavelength circuits in the U.S. and Europe, which will be integrated into AOL's world-class IP network named ATDN ( www.atdn.net ). In addition, America Online purchased metropolitan dark fiber in the U.S. earlier this year.

"We're pleased to support America Online's continuing efforts to deliver a world-class experience to their members," said Kevin O'Hara, president and COO for Level 3. "We believe that our technically advanced backbone, cost structure and operational excellence will add significant value to AOL and its tens of millions of broadband and dial-up members in the U.S. and Europe."

"America Online is focused on delivering a compelling broadband experience for our members that provides access to the online entertainment, information and communication services and content they want," said Mark Muehl, vice president of Internet Operations for America Online. "These agreements with Level 3 help us accommodate additional broadband usage across the AOL service.

"Wavelength services from Level 3 offer AOL and other customers the ability to obtain international circuits at a fraction of the up-front investment of building the transmission infrastructure themselves. Level 3's ONTAP(SM) system enables the company to provide 10-day delivery of on-net wavelength services, allowing AOL and other customers to scale their bandwidth requirements as their operational needs dictate.

Level 3's dark fiber services help customers reduce their local loop expense and increase the physical diversity of their metropolitan transmission infrastructure. The company's 2,200-mile metropolitan backbone is complemented by Level 3's network expansion capabilities, which extend Level 3's fiber reach by constructing route extensions and integrating third-party fiber where customer demand requires.

Additionally, Level 3 is one of the largest providers of colocation space in the world, operating more than 70 carrier-neutral data center facilities in the U.S. and Europe. Colocation customers in most major cities can access 8 to 10 other network providers in each Level 3 facility.

The new contracts announced today are incremental to the managed modem and other America Online customer agreements previously disclosed by Level 3, and the America Online contracts that Level 3 assumed as a result of the Genuity transaction.

About Level 3 Communications

Level 3 (NASDAQ:LVLT) is an international communications and information services company. The company operates one of the largest Internet backbones in the world, is one of the largest providers of wholesale dial-up service to ISPs in North America and is the primary provider of Internet connectivity for millions of broadband subscribers, through its cable and DSL partners. The company offers a wide range of communications services over its 22,500 mile broadband fiber optic network including Internet Protocol (IP) services, broadband transport and infrastructure services, colocation services, and patented Softswitch managed modem and voice services. Its Web address is www.Level3.com .

The company offers information services through its subsidiaries, (i)Structure and Software Spectrum. For additional information, visit their respective Web sites at www.softwarespectrum.com and www.i-structure.com .