KDD Group Purchases $100 Million In Capacity On Global Crossing Network
Business Editors
HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2000--Global Crossing
(Nasdaq:GBLX):
-- Initial KDD commitment made to Pacific Crossing 1, the undersea
cable owned by Asia Global Crossing, a joint venture of Global
Crossing, SOFTBANK, and Microsoft.
-- KDD also given access to Global Crossing Network, a broadband,
seamless worldwide network combining high-capacity city rings,
terrestrial systems, and undersea cables.
Global Crossing (Nasdaq:GBLX), the world's most advanced
IP-based telecommunications company, announced today that Global
Crossing and its newly formed joint venture Asia Global Crossing have
obtained an agreement with KDD Group for capacity on Global Crossing's
state-of-the-art fiber optic network. Asia Global Crossing is a joint
venture between Global Crossing, Microsoft, and SOFTBANK CORP.
Under the agreement valued at $100 million, KDD Group may use its
capacity on the Global Crossing Network to connect customers in Asia,
the United States, Latin America, and Europe. KDD's initial commitment
is to Pacific Crossing 1, Asia Global Crossing's undersea cable
connecting Japan and the U.S., which went into initial service in
December of last year.
"KDD is one of Asia's largest telecom companies," said Darryl
Green, President of Asia Global Crossing's Japanese subsidiary. "They
have provided high quality and advanced services in Japan and, with
this agreement, will now have the unparalleled connectivity around the
world that only the Global Crossing Network provides."
"KDD is committed to meeting the international communication
needs of our customers," said Tadashi Nishimoto, President of KDD.
"The borders that have traditionally divided societies, economies, and
cultures are dissolving largely because of the communication access to
the wider world. Access to the advanced Global Crossing Network is a
central part of KDD's expansion of its telecommunication services,
encompassing voice, data, and video transmission -- connecting Japan
to the world and the global economy."
About Asia Global Crossing
Asia Global Crossing is a joint venture among Global Crossing
(Nasdaq:GBLX), SOFTBANK CORP. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 9984), and
Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq:MSFT) created to provide the Asia
Pacific region unprecedented access to a broadband, seamless global
network through a combination of high-capacity city rings, terrestrial
systems, and undersea cables. Asia Global Crossing offers businesses
and consumers an array of advanced network-based telecommunications
services including state-of-the-art telehouses, Web hosting, and
electronic commerce, as well as low-cost, high-quality telephony in
competition with local incumbent carriers. Asia Global Crossing assets
will include Global Crossing's 58% interest in Pacific Crossing 1, a
subsea system connecting the U.S. and Japan, and East Asia Crossing, a
17,000-km fiber optic subsea system that will link Japan, Taiwan,
Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and China.
About Global Crossing
Global Crossing Ltd. (Nasdaq:GBLX) is building, and offering
services over, the world's first global fiber optic network with
97,200 announced route miles, serving five continents, 24 countries
and more than 200 major cities. The Global Crossing Network and its
telecommunications and Internet product offerings will be available to
over 80% of the world's international communications traffic. Global
Crossing hosts more than 300 of the top Internet brands at its Web
hosting division, GlobalCenter. Among the brands are some of the
largest and most densely trafficked sites on the Web, including
Yahoo!, The Motley Fool, Ziff Davis, MP3.com and eToys. Global
Crossing's operations are headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with
principal offices in Los Angeles, California; London, England;
Morristown, New Jersey; and Rochester, New York.
Statements made in this press release that state the Company's or
management's intentions, beliefs, expectations, or predictions for the
future are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements
are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that
could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from
those projected in such forward-looking statements. These risks,
assumptions and uncertainties include: the ability to complete systems
within currently estimated time frames and budgets; the ability to
compete effectively in a rapidly evolving and price competitive
marketplace; changes in the nature of telecommunications regulation in
the United States and other countries; changes in business strategy;
the successful integration of newly-acquired businesses; the impact of
technological change; and other risks referenced from time to time in
the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
--30--jap/la* mw/la
CONTACT: Global Crossing
Investor contacts:
Jensen Chow, 310/385-5283 (Los Angeles)
jchow@globalcrossing.com
Kirsten Sullivan, 716/777-6179 (Rochester, N.Y.)
kirsten_sullivan@globalcrossing.com
Media contacts:
Tom Goff, 310/385-5231 (Los Angeles)
tgoff@globalcrossing.com
Madelyn Smith, 310/385-5200 (Los Angeles)
madelyn@globalcrossing.com
General information: Visit Global Crossing at
www.globalcrossing.com on the World Wide Web.
or
Microsoft
Carla Lewis, 425/936-3703 (investor/analyst contact)
Tom Pilla, 425/936-0756 (media)
tpilla@microsoft.com
General information: Visit Microsoft at
www.microsoft.com/presspass on the World Wide Web.
or
SOFTBANK
Neil Katkov, 617/558-6708 (investor/analyst and media)
neil_katkov@softbank.com
General information: Visit SOFTBANK at www.softbank.com
on the World Wide Web.
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA NEW YORK NEW JERSEY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
ASIA PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERNET
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