Level 3 Selected to Provide High Speed IP and Transport Services for Rio Network’s First Data Center

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) today announced it has signed an agreement with Rio Networks, an Oregon-based business telecommunications company (CLEC), to provide high-speed Internet protocol (HSIP) and transport services for the company’s newly-built data center.

Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Rio Networks, owned by the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe, will resell Level 3’s next-generation IP solutions to fill a growing need in the Southern Oregon market, giving local companies the ability to conduct business on a global scale over the Level 3 network.

“By having Level 3 built into our carrier-neutral data center — the first of its kind in Southern Oregon — the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe, Roseburg, and the community are now exceptionally well-postured to do business worldwide,” said Mark Bilton-Smith, President of Rio Networks. “This facility is designed to be a true driving force in the business development of our community, and Level 3’s participation in this effort allows Douglas County and the Tribe to realize that goal.”

“Level 3’s agreement with Rio Networks not only further stimulates business in Roseburg, but also immediately pushes Roseburg and Southern Oregon onto the national colocation stage,” added Steve Barnett, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Rio Networks.

Level 3’s Tier 1 HSIP service provides access to Level 3’s IP backbone, which is one of the largest and most connected across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. This service offers customers the ability to leverage efficient performance, cost-effective pricing and a continuously upgradable network to keep pace with rising bandwidth demands.

“With large and small communities demanding more global connectivity, it is crucial to offer network solutions that extend beyond the common metro hubs,” said Andrew Crouch, President of North American Sales at Level 3. “We are particularly pleased to work with Rio Networks to enable them to increase their network penetration and provide high-quality services in Southern Oregon.”

For more information on Level 3’s advanced network and service offerings, visit www.level3.com.

About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE:LVLT) provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3’s comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 450 markets in 45 countries over a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com

About Rio Networks
Rio Networks is an Oregon owned and operated provider of leading edge business communication and cloud services including phone, email, data, Internet, and colocation. Local coverage areas include Portland, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Woodburn, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield, Redmond, Bend, La Pine, Roseburg, Grants Pass, and Ashland. Our state of the art high density collocation facility hosts business worldwide. Rio Networks services the business communities of Oregon with an industry leading 96 percent customer satisfaction score. Rio Networks is wholly owned by the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Tribe, based in Roseburg, Ore. Contact Rio Networks to learn how your business can benefit from a next generation network and cloud based technologies. You can find Rio Networks online at www.rionetworks.com or call 877-700-4746.

©Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3,Level 3 Communications, Level (3) and  the Level 3 Logo either registered service marks or service marks ofLevel 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.  Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Level 3 services are provided by subsidiaries ofLevel 3 Communications, Inc.

Website Access to Company Information
Level 3 maintains a corporate website at www.level3.com, and you can find additional information about the company through the Investors pages on that website at http://lvlt.client.shareholder.com/.  Level 3 uses its website as a channel of distribution of important information about the company. Level 3 routinely posts financial and other important information regarding the company and its business, financial condition and operations on the Investor Relations web pages.

Visitors to the Investors Relations web pages can view and print copies of Level 3’sSECfilings, including periodic and current reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, as soon as reasonably practicable after those filings are made with theSEC.

Copies of the charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance committees of Level 3’s Board of Directors, its Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, press releases and analysts and investor conference presentations are all available through the Investor Relations web pages.

Please note that the information contained on any of Level 3’s web sites is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be a part of, any document unless expressly incorporated by reference in that document.

Forward-Looking Statement
Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature and 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. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company’s ability to: successfully integrate the Global Crossing acquisition or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits thereof; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; obtain additional financing, particularly in the event of disruptions in the financial markets; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; adapt to rapid technological changes that could adversely affect the company’s competitiveness; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its 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.

SOURCELevel 3 Communications, Inc.