First alternative national network delivers global
connectivity to Europe's most densely populated state.
Brussels, 18 January 1999 -
MCI WorldCom announced today that the company now offers voice, data
and Internet services to customers throughout Belgium. These services
include national and international high-speed private circuits,
Internet connectivity, frame relay and ATM as well as local, national
& international switched voice telephony.
"Belgium is our first facilities-based national network in
Europe creating a blueprint of the national dimension to our unique
local-to-global capability," said Liam Strong, chairman and chief
executive of MCI WorldCom International. "We will be deploying
similar facilities in the UK,. France and Germany through
1999."
In early 1998, MCI WorldCom launched its project to build a national
network to connect to Belgium's ten Public Network.Access Areas.
This project leveraged the deployment of the company's pan-European
fibre-optic network that effectively provides Belgium with a national
backbone network as it crosses the country from France to the
Netherlands. The Belgian network is now operational and is fully
integrated within MCI WorldCom's wholly owned pan-European and
global fibre-optic networks. Customers throughout Belgium can now
benefit from global on-net connectivity, available uniquely from MCI
WorldCom.
Belgium is the most densely populated country in Europe and home to
many multi-national businesses and supra-national organisations: most
notably the European Commission.
In July 1997 MCI WorldCom became the first alternative operator to
provide voice and data communications services in the Brussels area
over its own fibre-optic network and is now the first facilities-based
alternative national provider.
In Europe, MCI WorldCom has full service, facilities-based local
telecommunications subsidiaries in France, Germany, Italy, The
Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK as well as Belgium. It has built
and operates local networks in Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, London,
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Zurich. Earlier this year the
company announced plans to triple the size and scope of its
pan-European long distance network that connects these city
networks.
In Asia, MCI WorldCom is a fully licensed telecommunications
operator in Japan and Australia and is constructing local facilities in
Tokyo and Sydney. The company has further operations in Singapore and
Hong Kong where it offers value added international telecommunications
services.
MCI WorldCom is a global communications company with revenue of more
than $30 billion and established operations in over 65 countries
encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. MCI
WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated
local, long distance, international and Internet services. MCI
WorldCom's global networks, including its state-of-the-art
pan-European network and transoceanic cable Systems, provide end-to-end
high-capacity connectivity to more than 38,000 buildings worldwide. For
more information on MCI WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at
www.wcom.com
.
