BROOMFIELD, Colo., Sept. 11 -- Level 3 Communications Inc. has completed the installation of fiber in Ring 1 of its European fiber optic network, and has finished installing conduits on the 4750-mile inter-city network as well. By installing a number of conduits on the network, the company can always upgrade its system by placing fiber in one conduit while the other conduits are reserved for more advanced optical fiber when it becomes available.
Including Ring 1 in Europe, we've now completed more than 90 percent of our inter-city conduit installation in North America and Europe, said Lee Jobe, president of global operations for Level 3 Communications. Level 3 designed its multi-conduit network so it can install new generations of fiber more quickly and at lower incremental cost than traditional networks can. This approach enables us to further solidify our industry-leading unit cost advantage for bandwidth services.
Level 3 Communication's European network is connected to the company's metropolitan networks in London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Germany, Paris and Brussels, Belgium. The company's second European network, which will connect the German cities of Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, will be completed by the end of the year, said Level 3. Each of the company's European networks will connect with the company's 16,000-mile US network via a 1.28 terabit transatlantic cable system.