Level 3 teams with Telseon

(Telephony) Level 3 Communications has teamed up with Telseon to use the metro access provider’s Ethernet connections in 22 Internet data centers across the U.S. in which it does not have a presence.

Level 3 will use these Ethernet connections to expand it its (3) CrossRoads offering. (3) CrossRoads is an IP based Internet access service utilized primarily by high-bandwidth customers such as communications service providers.

“We’re able to offer Level 3 the opportunity to follow along our footprint in the metro area,” said a spokeswoman for Telseon.

The agreement is not for service resale and includes no compensation in either direction. Rather, both companies will engage in cross selling, with Telseon recommending Level 3’s backbone service and Level 3 referring its own customers to Telseon’s Ethernet-based metro access.

“We’re working with them to get their customers access to our backbone and also to give our backbone customers alternative local access options,” said Liza Hartmann, director of marketing development for IP services. “Customers of ours wanted to use Telseon to get to our backbone,” she added.

At some point, though, the relationship may evolve in to a reseller agreement, she said. “We’re probably going to wait until we have a critical mass of ethernet metro access providers before we bundle and sell the service.”

This is the first time the two have worked together in a partnership arrangement, though Telseon has signed long-term fiber leases with Level 3. The deal is not exclusive, with Telseon having already agreed to do work with 360Networks and Level 3 in the process of reviewing metro providers beyond Telseon.