Level 3 rounds out European expansion

At the prompting of customers, Level 3 Communications has completed the addition of seven new European markets to its network, bringing the provider’s total markets served on the continent to 16.

The company had nine markets operational and then at the request of customers, added the cities of Geneva, Karlsruhe, Koln, Madrid, Milan, Stockholm and Zurich, according to a Level 3 spokesman.

“Level 3 had dug the trenches and built our own intercity network and received requests for more cities,” the spokesman said. “So we leased wavelengths from others,” he said.

Level 3 is offering private line, wavelength and IP services over the network and currently has customers in six of the new markets. The company doesn’t have any plans to replace the leased connectivity with its own fiber, according to the spokesman. In Europe, Level 3 has a two-ring 3,600-mile network. In the U.S., Level 3 has 15,889 intercity miles and 27 metropolitan networks.