QWEST COMMUNICATIONS CHOSEN BY AMERICA
ONLINE AS A NATIONAL INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP)
BACKBONE PROVIDER
Business Wire - January 27, 1999 07:35
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 1999--
Qwest Awarded $13 Million, Multi-Year Services Contract
Qwest Communications International Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a $13 million,
multi-year contract to be a national IP backbone provider for America Online. Under the terms of the
contract, Qwest will provide America Online with high-speed IP connectivity, private line and
collocation services, providing additional bandwidth to allow AOL to bring its members ever-increasing
amounts of information from the Web.
America Online will be deploying multiple high-speed connections from Qwest, ranging from Optical
Carrier (OC)-3 to OC-48, in key cities throughout the United States. The Qwest backbone will insure
that data and images will travel reliably and securely between the customers' computers and AOL's
servers located in Northern Virginia. The agreement also allows America Online to collocate equipment
in Qwest facilities, including some of its 10 CyberCenters (tm).
"We are pleased to be working with the world's largest Internet online service provider to help in the
execution of their network expansion plans," said Shaun Gilmore, Qwest senior vice president of
national accounts. "The agreement with AOL clearly illustrates their continuing commitment to delivering
the highest- quality performance for its members as well as Qwest's ability to deliver reliable,
high-speed access to support Internet communications services."
"We selected Qwest as a national IP backbone provider because they understand the demands of
Internet communications and their state-of-the-art network will enhance the Internet experience for our
over 15 million members.
We're confident that Qwest's network will scale with the growth of AOL and the Internet at large," said
Joe Barrett, Vice President of Internet Operations for America Online. "AOL has the fastest Web
download performance as measured by Inverse Technologies, and the addition of Qwest's services will
allow AOL to further enhance our members' Web experience."
About Qwest
Qwest Communications International Inc. (Nasdaq: QWST) is a leader in reliable and secure
broadband Internet-based data, voice and image communications for businesses and consumers.
Headquartered in Denver, Qwest has more than 8,000 employees and 80 sales offices in North
America, Europe and Mexico. The Qwest Macro Capacity (SM) Fiber Network, designed with the
newest optical networking, will span more than 18,500 route miles in the United States when it is
completed in mid-1999. Qwest also has a pan-European venture with KPN, the Dutch
telecommunications company, to build and operate a high-capacity fiber optic, Internet Protocol-based
network that covers 2,100 miles and will span 9,100 miles when it is completed by 2002. Qwest also
has nearly completed a 1,400-mile network in Mexico.
This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These
statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the
documents filed by Qwest with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports which identify important
risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements, including potential fluctuations in quarterly results, dependence on new product
development, rapid technological and market change, failure to complete the network on schedule and
on budget, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks, Qwest's ability to achieve Year
2000 compliance, adverse changes in the regulatory or legislative environment, and satisfactory
negotiation and execution of definitive documentation. Qwest undertakes no obligation to review or
confirm analysts' expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking
statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.
The Qwest logo is a registered trademark of Qwest Communications International Inc. in the U.S. and
certain other countries. America Online and AOL are registered trademarks of America Online, Inc.
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Tyler Gronbach
(303) 992-2155
tyler.gronbach@qwest.net
or
Investor Contact:
Lee Wolfe
800-567-7296
IR@qwest.net |
