tw telecom Drives Nationwide Ethernet Deployments, Utilizes Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design

tw telecom Offers Leading-edge, Integrated, Converged Services

LITTLETON, Colo. and SAN JOSE, Calif. - tw telecom (NASDAQ: TWTC) has successfully navigated a rapidly-evolving and highly competitive marketplace over the past 15 years to be become one of the leading providers of converged voice, Internet and data services for U.S. businesses. Fueling tw telecom’s growth has been its ability to anticipate customer needs and to invest in its nationwide network based on a Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) CarrierEthernet design.

tw telecom recently enhanced its IP NGN network by adding Cisco® ME 3400 Series Ethernet Access Switches to improve the flexibility, reliability and security of its portfolio of integrated, converged services. tw telecom provides a complete range of IP-based services that includes high-speed Internet and data products for building and managing enterprise networks, as well as switched and transport services to carry voice and broadband services at transmission speeds up to 10 gigabits per second.

Operating in 75 markets spanning 30 states and Washington, D.C., tw telecom has built an impressive national fiber footprint that can directly reach two-thirds of U.S. businesses. tw telecom has increased its market share among businesses and continues to be one of the top three providers of Ethernet connections to business customers, according to Vertical Systems Group.

"We were one of the first to introduce Ethernet services locally and nationwide for businesses and have partnered with Cisco to build our service platform since the beginning" said Troy Knuckles, president of tw telecom’s Western division. "We continue to deploy the latest Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet solutions to help create a successful network platform to grow our business, deliver the right technology and meet demanding customer applications that fit their budgets"

As an early adopter of Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet design, tw telecom significantly expands and enhances its variety of converged services and operation, administration and management (OAM) capabilities by evolving its access technology to the latest Cisco metro Ethernet switch. Adding the Cisco ME 3400 Series to its existing Cisco 7600 Series architecture allows tw telecom to converge packet-based services such as VoIP, high-speed Internet, disaster recovery and highly secure virtual private networks onto a single service infrastructure using cost-efficient Ethernet connections. "The ability to deliver a scalable, converged network is a unique and strong value proposition for our enterprise customers" Knuckles said.

Introducing the newest Cisco Metro Ethernet switch into its access network also meets tw telecom’s technical and business goals. "The real advantage comes down to our ability to support and enable a wide variety of customer applications requiring the most demanding network specifications" said Knuckles. "We offer a choice of a private IP NGN network or a shared solution for those customers that are value conscious. This allows us to put customers on the Native LAN solution that best meets their business needs"

"tw telecom’s IP NGN network, enabled by Cisco, has proven to be an efficient and cost-effective means to offer converged voice, video and data services to enterprises of any size" said Kelly Ahuja, senior vice president of the service provider routing technology group at Cisco. "Cisco’s IP NGN technologies and expertise transform service providers, like tw telecom, into experience providers enabling them to deliver the Connected Life. Experience providers are adding new revenue opportunities with a reduced time to market by delivering ’table stakes’ video and new/differentiated video services"