BROOMFIELD, Colorado and SYDNEY, June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) and Optus Wholesale and Satellite today announced that Level 3 is providing deep-edge caching services that will enable Optus to locally cache high-demand content on its network. The agreement gives Optus quicker access to content, while growing Level 3's content delivery network (CDN) capacity in Australia by 300 percent.

The demand for online video continues to grow globally. According to Adobe's most recent Video Benchmark Report, online TV video consumption grew 388 percent from 2013 to 2014. In addition, new research from Park Associates found that nearly 50 million streaming media players will be sold worldwide by 2017. This data, combined with the proliferation of smart devices like phones and tablets, creates a greater need for reliable, fast and high quality streaming video across the world, including in Australia.

Through its collaboration with Level 3, Optus can now offer its millions of customers faster deliveries and improved delivery completion rates as well as scale on demand to handle traffic spikes without affecting quality. In addition, Optus can resell Level 3's CDN services across Australia.

"It's critical for Optus Wholesale and Satellite to be able to facilitate content delivery from customers to end-users efficiently and in a way that elevates the end-user experience. Through Level 3's CDN, we are able to improve the consumption of video, music, photo and data content over the Internet, not just locally within Australia, but also across the globe," said Rob Parcell, Managing Director of Optus Wholesale and Satellite. "Broadcasting customers and website owners with rich media content will benefit from the deployment of this CDN network."

"The explosion of over-the-top and other Internet video content can put a lot of strain on a network, creating issues in picture quality, speed and reliability," said John Blount, regional president of North America and Asia for Level 3. "By putting our CDN servers on Optus' network, we are enabling a better streaming video experience to Australian consumers, as well as creating a way for enterprises to leverage our CDN network for their content needs."

For more information about Level 3's CDN services, visit www.level3.com. To learn more about Optus' OTT offerings, visit www.optus.com.au.

About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) is a Fortune 500 company that 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 500 markets in over 60 countries across 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 or get to know us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Level 3, Vyvx, Venuenet+, Level 3 Communications, Level (3) and the Level 3 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 elsewhere. 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.

About Optus
Optus is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singtel, Asia's leading communications group. With over 130 years operating experience, Singtel drives the Group's efforts to lead in communication services throughout Asia and Africa as well as to front the local digital and enterprise markets. As the Australian arm of Singtel, Optus services over ten million customers each day. It provides a broad range of communications services including mobile, telephony, business network services, internet and satellite services and subscription television.

The information contained under the caption "About Optus" has been provided by Optus, which is solely responsible for its content.

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 tw telecom acquisition; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; increase revenue from its services to realize its targets for financial and operating performance; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; avert the breach of its network and computer system security measures; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; manage the future expansion or adaptation of its network to remain competitive; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; 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.

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SOURCE Level 3 Communications, Inc.