BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 24, 2009
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) today announced that the company has completed deployment of a low-latency, fiber-optic network connection between New York and Chicago. The network expansion was deployed using the shortest-path routes and advanced electronics to enable high-speed transaction rates with very low transmission delays – a significant service level requirement for financial exchanges and other trading venues.
"Level 3 designed the low-latency route to support financial services customers as they continue to face intense competition and pressure to improve transaction cycle time," said Paul Savill, senior vice president of product management for Level 3. "Dedicated routing from New York to Chicago offers Level 3 customers a low-latency advantage with network capacity available today to meet their real-time infrastructure needs."
The new route offers aggregate bandwidth of multiple 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps) connections to accommodate growing traffic volume generated by hedge funds, investment brokers, financial exchanges and other market participants. Currently, more than 80 Gbps of live financial trading traffic is being carried over the new route.
"There is more to bandwidth services than delivering point-to-point connectivity at the lowest price," said Erik Kreifeldt, senior analyst for TeleGeography. "With latency guarantees on the Chicago-New York route, Level 3 delivers valuable product differentiation to customers with stringent performance requirements."
In addition to the recent network expansion, Level 3 has also collaborated with financial services customers to design custom, low-latency network services to select trading venues throughout North America and Europe. Level 3 offers direct connections to:
- 15 Financial Exchanges
- 15 Electronic Communications Networks
- Seven Market Data Centers
By connecting directly to these trading venues, Level 3 reduces network hops and improves routing efficiency to minimize latency for its customers. On-net connectivity to the Level 3 network allows customers greater flexibility to scale bandwidth up to 10 Gbps per second as trading volumes increase.
With approximately 53,000 long-haul fiber miles and 27,000 metro fiber miles, Level 3 operates one of the most extensive and diverse network footprints in the market. As a result, Level 3 offers multiple low-latency options for any given route. Additionally, Level 3 offers direct connection to low latency, trans-Atlantic routes with diverse landing stations to enable network security and business continuity.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) is a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with an industry-leading combination of scalability and value over an end-to-end fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice. For more information, visit www.Level3.com.
© Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3, Level 3 Communications and the Level 3 Communications Logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates 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 names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statement
Some of the statements made 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 Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. The most important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the current uncertainty in the global financial markets and the global economy; disruptions in the financial markets that could affect Level 3's ability to obtain additional financing; as well as the company's ability to: successfully integrate acquisitions; increase the volume of traffic on the network; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; develop effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; and meet all of the terms and conditions of 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.
