today that it will be extending its high-capacity Pan European Crossing (PEC) network into Spain and Scandinavia, connecting eight new major cities to its worldwide system by early 2001. The additional fiber rings raise Global Crossing's total European network investment to approximately $3 billion.
"Our announcement today is a major step forward in the ongoing development of our seamless global network, connecting the top metropolitan centers in Europe with our undersea cables to the United
States, Asia and Latin America," said Wim Huisman, President of Global Crossing's European operations. "We are now bringing to Spain and
Scandinavia not only world class connectivity, but also high-speed and ultra-reliable communications services that will continue to enable our customers to conduct their business on a truly global scale."
Major Cities of Europe
Global Crossing's robust PEC network will feature more than 1 million kilometers of actual fiber, stretched over a geographic route covering more than 23,000 kilometers, linking 41 major etropolitan centers in Europe to Global Crossing's growing worldwide IP-based fiber system. Commercial service began on Phase I of PEC late last year providing connectivity to over a dozen cities, including London,Paris, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Hamburg, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt and Copenhagen.
In the year 2000, Phase II planned expansions of the network will include connections to Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Nuremburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Turin, Milan, Zurich, as well as Madrid, Barcelona, Oslo and Stockholm.
Global Crossing has existing terrestrial networks in North America and Japan, as well as subsea cables connecting Europe and Asia to
North America. Under rapid construction are subsea and terrestrial networks linking North America to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central
America and Latin America. Through its Asia Global Crossing joint venture, Global Crossing is connecting its Japanese and cross-Pacific
cables to the rest of East Asia.
Lucent supplies fiber-optic technology
Under a supply contract for PEC, Lucent Technologies, Inc. will provide Global Crossing with its industry-leading optical network
systems in Spain and Scandinavia. These systems include Lucent's 80-channel WaveStar dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)
systems and the WaveStar Bandwidth Manager. Also included is Lucent's state-of-the-art G655 fiber. Under a broad agreement, signed in January of 1999, Lucent will provide Global Crossing priority access to the most advanced technologies available from Lucent and Bell Labs for both subsea and terrestrial fiber optic systems.
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, Global Center. Among the brands are some of the largest and most densely trafficked sites on the Web. Global Crossing's operations are headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with principal offices in Los Angeles, California; London, England; Morristown, New Jersey; Rochester, New York; and Miami, Florida. Visit Global Crossing at www.globalcrossing.com on the web.