News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

Internet2 and Level 3 Communications to Deploy Next Generation Nationwide
Research Network 
 

Internet2, a Leading Research and Academic Consortium, Selects Level 3 as
Underlying Provider for New Network

New Network to Deliver 10 Times the Capacity of Current Internet2 Network,
Enabling Leading-Edge Services and Applications for the Research and
Academic Community

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 15, 2006 - Internet2 and Level
3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) today announced an agreement to develop
and deploy a new nationwide network and new services to enhance and support
the advanced needs of the academic and research community. This new network
initially will offer Internet2 members 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) of
capacity, more than 10 times that of the current Internet2 backbone network,
and will be designed to easily scale to add capacity as Internet2 members'
requirements evolve. Based on input and feedback from the research and
education community, the network will support a full range of production IP
services as well as new on-demand, dedicated optical wavelength services to
enable the most demanding network applications and experimentation. 

Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Level 3 will provide dedicated
facilities enabling multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths, high-speed IP transit and
colocation services with options for private line, metro and long-haul dark
fiber services to interconnect the backbone with academic institutions and
support growth and changes in member requirements over time. 

"This powerful, flexible network to be created by Internet2 and Level 3 will
enable the research and education community to unlock new frontiers in the
development of true next-generation Internet technologies," said Dr. Larry
Faulkner, Internet2 Board of Trustees chairman. "In doing so, Internet2 is
expanding upon its long legacy of providing reliable and cutting-edge
networking to advance the missions of its members and the broader research
and education community." 

"We are pleased to work with Internet2 for this important milestone in
advanced research networking," said Jack Waters, executive vice president
and chief technology officer of Level 3. "Over the past several years, IP
requirements for research and academic networks have increased the demand
for Level 3's backbone network services in the U.S. and Europe. Level 3
continues to be well positioned to serve the needs of the Internet2
community, and we are excited to enable this next important phase in
advanced Internet technology development." 

Level 3 will deploy digital optical technologies for Internet2 to provide
multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths and enable rapid bandwidth provisioning across
the entire footprint for its members. These new optical services will allow
network users to obtain dedicated one Gbps sub-wavelengths or entire 10 Gbps
wavelengths through advanced network scheduling or on-demand. It will also
enable users to provision circuits dynamically for short or long-term use.
Additionally, using this optical system, the new Internet2 network will
provide production IP capabilities and bundled access to the Internet.

The new optical services will provide increased levels of flexibility that
can support bandwidth-intensive experimental applications. As examples,
astronomers will be able to link distant telescopes for real-time and more
accurate data analysis, physicists will be able to exchange terabyte-scale
data sets in seconds and medical researchers and doctors will be able to
share high-resolution images instantaneously.

"We are pleased to be a business partner in this new phase of Internet2's
mission," said Jerry Hogge, senior vice president and general manager of
Level 3's federal group. "We believe that this significant commitment to the
research and academic community will enable Internet2 to continue to build
on its legacy of reliability and innovation through improved service,
extended new capabilities and enhanced ability to scale and grow the network
as its members' needs change." 

"Internet2 selected Level 3 as the provider for this vital network because
Level 3 has extensive existing fiber connectivity with the higher education
and research community; leading-edge network capabilities to enable the most
demanding network uses our community can imagine; and unparalleled
experience in designing, building and scaling large backbone networks for
growth," said Douglas Van Houweling, president and chief executive officer
of Internet2. "This will allow the Internet2 community to focus its
resources primarily on its core research and educational missions." 

The new network infrastructure's capabilities build on the successes of
Internet2's Hybrid Optical Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) testbed, an
initiative examining a hybrid of packet and circuit switched optical
infrastructures to understand next generation architectures. The Internet2
network will provide dedicated experimental facilities to computer
scientists and network researchers to support their missions in testing new
network paradigms, protocols, and architectures, pushing the envelope of
networking technology. 

Internet2 is working with its members and regional networking organizations
to finalize deployment details with the new network becoming operational
during 2007. In the interim, Internet2's relationship with Level 3 will
enable optical circuit services for the community using Level 3's existing
facilities. Internet2 is also working closely with its current network
partners and network connectors to ensure a smooth and seamless transition
of traffic from its current backbone network onto the new infrastructure.

About Internet2(R)
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities, working with industry and
government, Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia,
industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.
For more information about Internet2, visit http://networks.internet2.edu.

About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 (Nasdaq: LVLT), an international communications and information
services company, operates one of the largest Internet backbones in the
world. Through its customers, Level 3 is the primary provider of Internet
connectivity for millions of broadband subscribers. The company provides a
comprehensive suite of services over its broadband fiber optic network
including Internet Protocol (IP) services, broadband transport and
infrastructure services, colocation services, voice services and voice over
IP services. These services provide building blocks that 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 offers information services through its subsidiary, Software
Spectrum, and fiber-optic and satellite video delivery and advertising
distribution solutions through its subsidiary, Vyvx. For additional
information, visit their respective Web sites at www.softwarespectrum.com
and www.vyvx.com.

The Level 3 logo is a registered service mark of Level 3 Communications,
Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Level 3 services are
provided by a wholly owned subsidiary of Level 3 Communications, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statement
Some of the statements made by Level 3 in this press release are
forward-looking in nature. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected in forward-looking statements. Level 3 believes that its primary
risk factors include, but are not limited to: increasing the volume of
traffic on Level 3's network; developing new products and services that meet
customer demands and generate acceptable margins; successfully completing
commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new
products and services, including voice transmission services; stabilizing or
reducing the rate of price compression on certain of our communications
services; integrating strategic acquisitions; attracting and retaining
qualified management and other personnel; ability to meet all of the terms
and conditions of our debt obligations; overcoming Software Spectrum's
reliance on financial incentives, volume discounts and marketing funds from
software publishers; and reducing downward pressure of Software Spectrum's
margins as a result of the use of volume licensing and maintenance
agreements. 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 release should be evaluated in light
of these important factors.


Level 3 contacts:                                       
Media:  Jennifer Daumler                                
720-888-3356                                    

Investors: Robin Grey

720-888-2518

Sandra Curlander
720-888-2501

Internet2 contacts:
Media: Lauren Rotman
202-331-5345