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Level 3 Donates 10GB Line to iGrid 2002

September 18, 2002 Level 3 Supports iGrid 2002 Global Research and Science Event with 10 GB Transatlantic Link Wavelength Turned Up in Days with ONTAP Event to Showcase High-end Optical Networking Applications of the Future Amsterdam - Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVLT), a strong supporter of scientific research communities worldwide, has activated a 10 Gbps transoceanic link between Chicago and Amsterdam in support of the multi-Gigabit bandwidth needs of iGrid 2002, September 23-26 in Amsterdam. The biennial iGrid (International Grid) event is an applications driven test-bed event showcasing multi-gigabit application and middleware innovations enabled by globally connected, very-high-speed networks. Grid computing underlies the event’s 28 very-high-speed networking demonstrations from 16 countries. Virtual laboratory technologies and burgeoning bandwidth capacities on the order of 10 Gbps make it possible to now demonstrate cutting-edge e-Science applications, which include remote instrumentation control, tele-immersion, real-time client server systems, distributed computing, streaming digital media and high-throughput, high-priority data transfers. The Level 3 support builds on its existing broadband communications services to SURFnet, the Dutch national research network, which is co-organizing iGrid 2002 with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL). The 10 Gbps link will connect SURFnet’s NetherLight optical networking facility in Amsterdam with StarLight, the optical exchange infrastructure in Chicago managed by EVL, Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory. Kees Neggers, managing director of SURFnet said, “In June we were pleasantly surprised by the way Level 3 was able to take over upstream Internet and 2.5 Gbps wavelength services after our existing supplier terminated these services. The seamless delivery of this 10 Gbps wavelength for the 2002 iGrid conference is again an excellent demonstration of the capacity and flexibility of the Level 3 network and organisation.” Tom DeFanti, principal investigator of StarLight, noted, “When we began organising iGrid a year ago, we challenged scientists to exploit 10 Gbps connections, and they were eager. In fact, their appetites exceeded our capacity, making Level 3’s support more instrumental and appreciated.” Floris van den Broek, managing director of Level 3 in the Netherlands said, “We are proud to make the contribution of this transoceanic link to the iGrid 2002 conference and to support the widely recognized importance of high bandwidth for scientific applications.” Future e-science infrastructures will require substantially larger high-end optical networks to support Grid computing which is evolving as the main enabling technology for facilitating multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaborations. Technologists and scientists are utilising Internet computing and Grid technologies to link data, computers and other resources into a virtual laboratory spanning institutions, states, countries and continents. The creation of collaborative and multi-disciplinary large-scale infrastructures will allow scientists, engineers or corporations to harness computational power, remote instrumentation and supercomputer resources from anywhere in the world. Level 3 provides SURFnet - which connects 200 institutions in higher education and research in the Netherlands - with a 2.5 Gbps wavelength service connecting NetherLight in Amsterdam to StarLight in Chicago for advanced research purposes. The temporary circuit dedicated to iGrid 2002 was turned up using ONTAP, Level 3’s proprietary Web-based customer network management and service provisioning system. Among other capabilities, ONTAP enables delivery of wavelength and private line services when customers require them, rather than in the weeks or months that it typically takes other carriers to deliver transport services. This allows customers to tie their network purchases directly to revenue opportunities, rather than expending capital based on speculative long-term projections. ONTAP also enables customers to check Level 3’s capacity inventory and prices, reserve capacity, order circuits, and manage their network, all via a Web-based interface. About Level 3 Communications Level 3 (Nasdaq:LVLT) is an international communications and information services company offering a wide selection of services including IP services, broadband transport, colocation, metropolitan and intercity dark fiber services, and the industry’s first Softswitch-based services. The company offers information services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, (i)Structure, Corporate Software and Software Spectrum. (i)Structure is an Application Infrastructure Provider that provides managed IT infrastructure services and enables businesses to outsource IT operations. Its Web address is www.i-structure.com. Corporate Software and Software Spectrum help Fortune 500 companies acquire, implement, and manage software. About Starlight StarLight, the optical STAR TAP, is an advanced optical infrastructure and proving ground for network services optimized for high-performance applications. StarLight, funded by the National Science Foundation, is being developed by the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the International Center for Advanced Internet Research (iCAIR) at Northwestern University, and the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory, in partnership with Canada’s CANARIE and Holland’s SURFnet. ONTAP is a service mark of Level 3 Communications, Inc. Patents are pending. StarLight is a service mark of University of Illinois Board of Trustees. 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: changes in the overall economy relating to, among other things, the September 11 attacks and subsequent events, substantial capital requirements; development of effective internal processes and systems; the ability to attract and retain high quality employees; technology; the number and size of competitors in its markets; law and regulatory policy; and the mix of products and services offered in the company’s target markets. 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. Contact: Heathere Evans-Keenan Keenan PR Inc. heathere@keenanpr.com ph: 1+703.777.8830