Level 3 expands Latin America fiber, Ethernet network to accommodate surging business growth

Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT) has expanded and upgraded its Latin America network in four of the region's largest countries--Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela--to support what it says is a growing desire from carrier and business customers for higher speed integrated IP solutions.

Focusing on Buenos Aires, the service provider expanded its Argentina metro Ethernet network, including upgrades to a number of its optical rings in the Macro/Microcenter.

In Brazil, Level 3 expanded its national backbone network by deploying a new metro network route in Porto Alegre and enhancing the capacity in Rio de Janeiro to meet increasing demands in the Botafogo and Barra neighborhoods.

Being Brazil's largest city, the provider has also upgraded existing fiber paths in the Curitiba-Sao Paulo-Rio de Janeiro route. By adding more submarine capacity to the Sao Paulo-Rio de Janeiro route, Level 3 said it can increase the availability of business services and new IP capacity connecting Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to the most important hubs in the United States and Europe. 

Finally, in Colombia and Venezuela the service provider extended network coverage. In Venezuela, it added Chuao and La Salle to its Metro plan by deploying new fiber solutions and expanding the capacity of Gateway La Urbina, the main site in Caracas.

The service provider's build outs come during a growth surge in the region.

During the third quarter, Level 3 reported that Latin America CNS enterprise revenues rose 13.1 percent to $149 million.  

From an overall trend perspective, a TeleGeography report revealed that international Internet traffic in Latin America is doubling every two years, making Latin America one of the world's fastest growing regions. 

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