National Expansion of Broadband Services Is Enhanced by Network Connection
In Chicago
VANCOUVER, Wash., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Lightwave Inc.
(Nasdaq: ELIX), one of the nation's fastest growing providers of Internet
access solutions to the growing e-commerce market, today announced
connectivity to the Ameritech Advanced Data Services (AADS) Internet Network
Access Point (NAP) in Chicago. This NAP connection, in addition to those
already in place, elevates the company's ATM-based broadband network to the
status of a Tier One Internet provider. For customers with national data and
Internet-based operations, this means improved reliability and new service
opportunities. A few of Electric Lightwave's web-centric customers include
E*TRADE, Amazon.com and RealNetworks.
"Our OC-3 nationwide backbone has allowed us to become one of the top
15 data networks in the country," said Geoff Williams, manager of Internet
services for Electric Lightwave. "In addition, we are on schedule to upgrade a
coast-to-coast data-only network to an OC-12 by the end of the year."
A Tier One Internet provider operates its own national Internet network
with a capacity of DS-3 (or 45 Mbps or greater), carrying traffic that is
exchanged at the major U.S. NAPS. In addition, a Tier One provider must
operate a Network Operations Center (NOC) 24 hours a day, seven days a week to
manage its network. Since Tier One providers represent the foundation of the
national Internet infrastructure, all other Internet operators must connect
through Tier One providers for access to the Internet. In addition to meeting
all of these criteria, Electric Lightwave maintains connections to the primary
national Internet NAPs: MAE-East (Washington, D.C.), MAE-West (San Jose),
Ameritech (Chicago), PAIX (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Pacific Bell (San Francisco)
which are locations where private commercial Internet backbone operators
interconnect their equipment.
Electric Lightwave's Internet expertise extends to the following areas:
* Private peering relationships with a majority of national Internet
backbone providers adds an extra level of service and Internet access
capability for businesses that require reliable Internet connections for
mission-critical applications;
* An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network infrastructure increases
reliability and performance of high-speed data communications;
* Owns and operates 21 data points-of-presence (POPs) or switching
facilities in Seattle, Portland, Ore., Spokane, Wash., Tacoma, Wash.,
Boise, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Palo Alto, Calif.,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston,
Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Cleveland, New York, Boston
and Philadelphia;
* Boardwatch Magazine consistently ranks Electric Lightwave as one of the
top Internet backbone providers, against competitors such as Sprint,
MCI/Worldcom and AT&T.
About Electric Lightwave
Electric Lightwave, Inc. is the leading integrated communications provider
of enhanced data services, frame relay, ATM and Internet access solutions to
bandwidth intensive businesses and the growing e-commerce market. The company
offers long distance, data and prepaid services nationwide. As a full-service
provider, the company offers local, long distance, videoconferencing and
high-speed broadband transport via an expanding fiber optic network that
interconnects major markets in the West. Headquartered in Vancouver,
Washington, the company is on the World Wide Web at http://www.eli.net.
SOURCE Electric Lightwave Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.eli.net
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/117258.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 117258
CONTACT:
Jack Hardy, 360-816-3602, or
jack_hardy@eli.net, or Enid Lamey, 360-816-4682, or
enid_lamey@eli.net, both of Electric Lightwave Inc.
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