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Global Crossing Enables Streaming Video of FIFA World Cup for Swedish ISP
- IP-Only is offering streaming video of football matches during the World Cup tournament.
- Global Crossing is providing IP-Only and its customers with high-speed IP Transit service.
Florham Park, NJ - July 6, 2006 -- Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) announced today that it has successfully delivered high-speed, 10-Gbps IP Transit Service to IP-Only Telecommunications AB, a Swedish Internet service provider that is transmitting streaming video of the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches.
Anticipating additional strength in demand for IP services in the Nordic region, Global Crossing recently installed new 10-Gbps-capable routers in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo. As a result, the company was able to provide the requested service quickly, with IP-Only becoming the first customer connected via the new router in Stockholm.
"We have several of the largest Swedish Internet sites running over our network," said Svante Jurnell, CEO of IP-Only. "It was important for us to get this service installed in time for the June 9th start of the World Cup. We're very happy that Global Crossing was able to meet our need."
Even though thousands of despairing Swedish fans had to witness their team face defeat at the hands of Germany, the service provided by IP-Only enabled football fans to view the knock-out matches, leading to the final between France and Italy on July 9, 2006.
Global Crossing has 10-Gbps capacity at its IP nodes in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and London. The Madrid router and the second routers at Amsterdam and Frankfurt will be commissioned shortly. The company's Scandinavian ring was also recently upgraded with multiple 10-Gbps wavelengths.
"Europe is a key part of our global strategy, and we're investing in on our rapidly growing carrier data business in the Nordics by upgrading our transport backbone and the capacity of core IP network," commented Pieter Duijves, Global Crossing's managing director for Europe. "Through our network, IP-Only's service is allowing Swedish viewers abroad the thrill of watching their team play on Swedish Internet sites. Data-intensive applications such as this play to our strengths as a leading provider of high-capacity services in the region."
This new capability forms part of an ongoing European network expansion program. In recent months, additional IP points of presence have been commissioned in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Spain, and new points of presence were created in Italy and Russia. Network extensions connecting to the major exchanges in Moscow and Rome enable Global Crossing to offer its suite of voice and data products to carriers and enterprises in these cities.
Global Crossing recently announced that it has more than quadrupled the capacity of its PoP-to-PoP core capacity capability to multiple 10-Gbps speeds in a response to a market shift toward services such as video streaming, music and video downloads, IP-TV and other large applications that give customers an enhanced experience.
Global Crossing experienced IP traffic growth of 65 percent on its global IP backbone in 2005. The pace continued to accelerate during the first quarter of 2006 as the company recorded its fastest growth in a single quarter since 2003. These trends far outpace the industry average -- according to TeleGeography Research, the rate of growth for global IP traffic at an industry level increased 49 percent between 2004 and 2005.
The FIFA World Cup championship tournament is held every four years. Germany is host for the 2006 tournament.
ABOUT IP-ONLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AB
IP-Only Telecommunication AB was founded in 1999 and is a independent Swedish Internet and telecom operator focusing on companies with high demands on bandwidth, accessibility and reliability. IP-Only, privately owned and run from its head office in Uppsala, is one of only four operators in Sweden who owns its own national network infrastructure all the way from the physical fiber and regenerator stations to the IP backbone. The other three are TeliaSonera, TDC Song, and Telenor. IP-Only's English-language Web site is www.iponly.se.
ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING
Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 300 cities in 28 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 600 cities in 60 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of managed data and voice products including Global Crossing IP VPN Service, Global Crossing Managed Services and Global Crossing VoIP services, to 36 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.
Please visit www.globalcrossing.com for more information about Global Crossing.
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Statements in this press release about expected future events and financial results are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including risks referenced from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Crossing undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.
CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:
Press Contacts
Becky Yeamans
+1 973 937 0155
PR@globalcrossing.com
Kendra Langlie
Latin America
+ 1 305 808 5912
LatAmPR@globalcrossing.com
Mish Desmidt
Europe
+ 44 (0) 1256 732 866
EuropePR@globalcrossing.com
Analysts/Investors Contact
Laurinda Pang
+ 1 800 836 0342
glbc@globalcrossing.com
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