Broadwing Readies 'Unique' Network

AUSTIN, Texas -- Broadwing Communications, LLC, a consolidated subsidiary of Broadwing Corporation (NASDAQ:BWNG - News), today announced that it is completing the roll-out of a unique, Converged Services Network infrastructure based on Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) that will enable both Layer 2 and Layer 3 Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for enterprises and carriers. On track for general availability in the second quarter of 2005, the Converged Services Network will dramatically exceed the capabilities of traditional MPLS networks.

"Broadwing's Converged Services Network has been architected from the ground up -- purpose-built with our customers' needs in mind and benchmarked against currently available alternatives," said Dr. David Huber, chairman and chief executive officer of Broadwing Corporation. "It will offer both Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN solutions at equivalent prices, enabling customers to choose the most appropriate technology for their specific applications."

"Customers have been clamoring for alternatives in the MPLS arena, which typically have included only Layer 3 IP VPN options," said Jay Pultz, research vice president from Gartner. "They want the option of any-to-any Layer 2 VPNs, security isolation from the public Internet and flexible local access choices, including Ethernet -- all covered under end-to-end Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with teeth."

Delivering peace of mind for increasingly security-conscious customers, Broadwing's Converged Services Network never touches the public Internet, making it immune to malicious attacks, such as denial of service. It will also make it possible for enterprises to connect their sites in point-to-point or any-to-any configurations, using their choice of cost-effective access protocols (Ethernet, Frame/ATM, Private Line, DSL, etc.) for all locations, thus minimizing the total cost of ownership.

Broadwing Communications LLC