BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVLT - News) announced today that Arun Netravali has been named to the company's Board of Directors effective April 16, 2003. Mr. Netravali was Chief Scientist for Lucent Technologies and in this role worked with academic and investment communities to identify and implement important new networking technologies. Previously he was President of Bell Labs as well as Lucent's Chief Technology Officer and Chief Network Architect. Bell Labs serves as the research and development arm behind Lucent, designs products and services that are at the forefront of communications technology, and conducts fundamental research in fields important to communications. In 2002, Mr. Netravali was honored by being named a recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and was cited by President George W. Bush for his technological expertise and pioneering contributions to transform TV from analog to digital, enabling numerous broadcast services, including multimedia over the Internet. In 2001, he received the Padma Bhushan Award, one of the highest civilian honors from the President of India. "We are extremely pleased that Arun has agreed to join the Level 3 board," said James Q. Crowe, Level 3's chief executive officer. "He is one of the true technology leaders and pioneers in the field of networking technology. It is an honor to have Arun joining our Board, and I know that he will add a great deal to both our strategic view and technological planning going forward." Level 3 Communications Inc.