CenturyLink and LGS Innovations deliver high-speed supercomputing network to U.S. Department of Defense researchers

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) and LGS Innovations announced today that they will be upgrading the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) to achieve speeds of 40 gigabits per second at five supercomputing locations.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program, DREN is a high-speed, fiber-optic network that connects five DoD supercomputing facilities to 4,300 scientists at more than 150 agencies and research sites within the U.S.

DREN speeds presently range from 50 megabits to 40 gigabits per second, depending on the site, and are delivered through a mix of Ethernet, Internet Protocol and optical wavelength services.

The Navy DoD Supercomputing Resource Center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, which operates national test facilities for the rocket engine propulsion programs, will be the first of five DREN locations to receive 40 gigabit service.

CenturyLink was awarded DREN III, a 10-year lifecycle indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $750 million, by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency's Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DISA DITCO) in December 2012.

LGS is working as a subcontractor to CenturyLink to engineer a robust, high-performance network that delivers on the ever-increasing complexity of DREN customers' mission requirements in a distributed and interactive computing environment, while meeting stringent security requirements.

"CenturyLink is excited to provide the Department of Defense with a highly secure, ultra high-speed  network for federal researchers, scientists and engineers to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation networking technologies that are critical to America's national security," said Tim Meehan, CenturyLink Government's senior vice president and general manager.

"We are honored to be working with CenturyLink on this critical work," said LGS Innovations CEO Kevin Kelly. "DREN is advancing the science and technology missions of the Department of Defense and other federal agencies by enabling them to stay on the forefront of research and development."

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, big data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink.com for more information.

About LGS Innovations

LGS Innovations delivers next generation solutions that solve the most complex networking and communications challenges facing the U.S. Federal Government, state and local governments, foreign governments, and commercial enterprises.  LGS offers groundbreaking research and development and builds advanced wireless, optical, and wired products and applications customized for specific mission environments. These solutions provide unique information and data security advantages that lead to the operational success of its customers. 

LGS Innovations is a U.S.-owned company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Formerly a subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent, LGS is the exclusive reseller of Alcatel-Lucent products and services to the U.S. Federal Government and any other entity when the end customer is the U.S. Federal Government.  LGS maintains strong ties to Bell Labs and its technologies, preserving a deep heritage of creative, life-changing innovations. Employing nearly 770 associates - including more than 450 scientists and engineers - LGS also holds offices in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and North Carolina. To learn more about LGS Innovations, visit www.lgsinnovations.com.

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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.

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