Carrier1, 360networks Sign $175 Million Fiber Capacity Deal

[May 31] Swiss-based fiber network operator
Carrier1 International S.A.
announced Wednesday a $175 million deal for the cross-purchasing of
broadband capacity with fellow fiber operator
360networks.

Under the terms of the agreement, Carrier1 buys dark fiber
in the U.K. together with lit broadband capacity on transatlantic
and North American networks, while providing 360networks
with 1,900 miles of dark fiber from its German network.

As part of the deal, 360networks also gets dark fiber on
Carrier1’s city rings in Paris and Amsterdam.

Greg Maffei, president and chief executive officer of 360networks,
said the latest agreement with Carrier1 enables his company to begin
selling broadband capacity immediately in key areas of Europe in
advance of lighting its own pan-European network.

Stig Johansson, chief executive officer of Carrier1 International,
was clearly delighted to be extending Carrier1’s reach in the
U.K. and North America.

“Through this deal, we will be able to expand the reach of our
services to the major cities of the English-speaking world,”
said Johansson.

Carrier1’s pan-European fiber network connects 11 countries
and is now fully operational in all of them. It is also
building 20 intra-city fiber networks, and in a joint venture
with DigiPlex, 20 full-service data center facilities.

360networks, one of the biggest fiber operations in
the world, expects to have a network extending across
56,000 miles by the end of 2001. It will link 90 major
cities, joining North and South America with Europe.