News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

CENIC Leverages FiberCo To Extend Optical Network Footprint

Dark Fiber to Enable Greater Reach for Next-Generation California Regional
Optical Network

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - December 19, 2005 - FiberCo(R), a fiber holding company
supporting U.S. research and higher education, today announced that the
Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), has
purchased the rights to over 709 route miles of dark fiber from FiberCo,
under an agreement with Level 3 Communications (Nasdaq:LVLT). Utilizing
FiberCo's national-scale wholesale structure and fiber acquisition process,
CENIC acquired the dark fiber and will use the network facilities to extend
the reach of its network in support of research and higher education.

Through this fiber purchase, CENIC will enhance its ability to bring
leading-edge capabilities to research and education institutions across
California and the West by enabling it to directly connect its California
Research and Education Network (CalREN) infrastructure  to additional
research and educational institutions, including neighboring Arizona State
University (ASU) and University of Arizona.

According to Jim Dolgonas, president, CENIC, "The dark fiber services
acquired through FiberCo further bolster our efforts and commitment to
providing additional CENIC members with an extended platform for advanced
collaboration and innovation."

Established in 2003 by Internet2(R), a consortium led by 207 universities
working with government and industry to develop and deploy advanced
networking technologies, FiberCo provides a means for acquiring, holding,
and assigning dark fiber assets on both the national and the regional scales
and on behalf of the higher education community. 

"FiberCo continues to deliver on its mission to provide Internet2 members
with critical optical networking assets which has facilitated the
development of regional optical networks across the country," said Steve
Cotter, director of network services for Internet2 and responsible for the
FiberCo effort. "CENIC has long played a pioneering role in providing
advanced Internet technology to its members and this latest dark fiber
purchase demonstrates their ongoing commitment to this endeavor." 

About CENIC
CENIC is a not-for-profit corporation serving the California Institute of
Technology, California State University, Stanford University, University of
California, University of Southern California, California Community Colleges
and the statewide K-12 school system. CENIC's mission is to facilitate and
coordinate the development, deployment and operation of a set of robust
multi-tiered advanced network services for this research and education
community. More information about CENIC can be found at
http://www.cenic.org.

About FiberCo(R)
FiberCo provides a means for acquiring, holding, and assigning fiber optic
network assets in support of the Internet2 community's goals of developing
and deploying advanced network applications and technologies. FiberCo
facilitates the ongoing development of regional optical networking
initiatives around the country to complement existing Internet2 network
infrastructure while providing a strategic fiber acquisition capability on
the national scale.  For more information, visit: www.fiberco.org.

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 23,000-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.

Level 3 services are offered by wholly owned subsidiaries of Level 3
Communications, Inc.

Contact:
Lauren Rotman
Internet2




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