Level 3 Honored With Five Best-in-Class ATLANTIC-ACM Awards Including Customer Service, Network Performance and Brand

BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today announced that it has received five best-in-class ATLANTIC-ACM Carrier Excellence Awards for Business Connectivity and Wireless Business Excellence.  ATLANTIC-ACM, a leading telecommunications research company, announced the awards last night at a ceremony at the Yale Club in New York City. The awards are based on results from the 2012 Business Connectivity and Wireless Business Report Card from customers, who rate carriers in key product and service categories based on approximately 3,800 individual carrier ratings.

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Since 1995, the ATLANTIC-ACM Report Card series has been a principal source of carrier performance benchmarking information for the telecom industry. This year, Level 3 won first-place awards in the Network Performance, Customer Service, Data Value, Sales Representatives, and Brand categories of the ILEC/IXC Group. That group is defined by the research firm as carriers who earn $2.0 billion or more annually in business services revenue, according to its 2012 U.S. Telecom Sizing and Share Report. This is the second consecutive year that Level 3 has won the awards for the Network Performance, Data Value and Brand categories.

"What makes these awards particularly gratifying is to be recognized by customers for valued attributes that are important to them," said Jeff Storey, Level 3 president and chief operating officer. "We work hard to excel in these areas to ensure that customers receive a top-notch experience from a skilled, knowledgeable sales force and exceptional network solutions that meet the needs of their growing businesses. It's very rewarding to know that customers appreciate and recognize all the work we're doing on their behalf."

According to the survey methodology, the Network Performance category is based on a carrier's network quality, availability, and uptime. The Customer Service category is the average rating of technical skills and the ability to solve problems, as well as courtesy and professionalism. Data Value combines the product quality and price competitiveness ratings for an array of services, including Ethernet Dedicated Internet Access, TDM-Based Dedicated Internet Access, Metro Private Line, Long Haul Private Line and IP Virtual Private Networks. The Sales Representatives category averages ratings for professionalism, integrity, technical expertise, as well as for proactive, consultative selling. And the Brand category measures perception of each carrier's reputation for quality and service.

"These awards in the Business Connectivity Report Card reflect Level 3's continued strong performance in serving the needs of its enterprise customers," stated Judy Reed Smith, ATLANTIC-ACM's chief executive officer. "Level 3 is increasingly recognized by their customers for delivering a differentiated customer experience that sets the company apart from its competitors."

For more information on Level 3's advanced network and service offerings, visit www.level3.com.

About ATLANTIC-ACM
Boston-based ATLANTIC-ACM is a leading provider of strategic research and consulting services serving the telecommunications and information industries. In addition to producing the industry's principal benchmarking, sizing and opportunity studies, the company assists clients in evaluating telecommunications opportunities for successful investment, market entry, and long-term planning.

About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3's comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 450 markets in 45 countries over a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com

© Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3, Level 3 Communications, Level (3), Think Ahead, the Level 3 Logo and the Level 3 Think Ahead logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.  Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Level 3 services are provided by subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc. 

Website Access to Company Information
Level 3 maintains a corporate website at www.level3.com, and you can find additional information about the company through the Investors pages on that website at http://lvlt.client.shareholder.com/.  Level 3 uses its website as a channel of distribution of important information about the company. Level 3 routinely posts financial and other important information regarding the company and its business, financial condition and operations on the Investor Relations web pages.

Visitors to the Investors Relations web pages can view and print copies of Level 3's SEC filings, including periodic and current reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, as soon as reasonably practicable after those filings are made with the SEC.

Copies of the charters for each of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance committees of Level 3's Board of Directors, its Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics, press releases and analysts and investor conference presentations are all available through the Investor Relations web pages.

Please note that the information contained on any of Level 3's web sites is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be a part of, any document unless expressly incorporated by reference in that document.

Forward-Looking Statement
Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature and are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to: successfully integrate the Global Crossing acquisition or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits thereof; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; obtain additional financing, particularly in the event of disruptions in the financial markets; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; adapt to rapid technological changes that could adversely affect the company's competitiveness; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Level 3 Communications, Inc.