LEVEL 3 MAKING ALLIANCES FOR BIG PLAY FOR STIMULUS MONEY

摘要

Level 3 is teaming up with companies and states to apply for the first round of stimulus money, which would help fill in broadband-service gaps, said Senior Vice President Edward Morche. The government money could increase competition, offering more choices for end users and more network diversity, he said. Level 3 will file a multistate application for the first round, and it's also interested in the later rounds, Morche said. The operator, which has its own nationwide fiber network, places amplifiers in many smaller markets that could be used to offer service to unserved and underserved areas, he said. Technology neutrality in the stimulus program is crucial, Morche said. The rural population is so spread out that it needs wireless technology, he said. nnMorche said he hopes markets with stimulus projects get newer, better technology than the tier one markets have. "It will be great to see Ethernet adopted throughout the stimulus activity," so tier two and three markets gain quick access to the technology, which will attract investment to them, he said. Diversity is vital to the long-term health of a network, Morche said. Using stimulus money to subsidize the incumbents could produce increased service speeds at reduced rates, but that wouldn't deal with the "problematic economic condition" of unserved and underserved markets, he said. "It's difficult to retain, let alone to attract, an economic base to these markets, if you are single-threaded on any one network."