Tier-One carrier Sprint International (NYSE:FON) is among 13 new members of the Network Access Point (NAP) of the Americas Consortium. The addition of Sprint means seven Tier-One carriers are currently members of the NAP of the Americas Consortium. To date, 87 domestic and international telecommunications companies are members of the consortium that spearheaded the development of the Network Access Point (NAP) in downtown Miami.
Sprint International, a global communications company that integrates long-distance, local and wireless communications services, is a major backbone carrier of Internet traffic. Sprint generates $23 million in annual revenues and serves more than 20 million businesses and residential customers.
New World Network - ARCOS-1, a submarine broadband fiber optic network, also helps spotlight the international impact of the high-speed Internet data exchange, only the fifth tier-one NAP in the world. The ARCOS-1 network will soon connect the U.S. to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Other new NAP consortium members include New World Network - ARCOS-1 (www.nwncable.com); COLO.COM (www.colo.com) and Centennial (www.centennial.com); MetroRED (www.metrored.com.ar/); ALeNet, Inc. (www.alenet.com; Xstream (www.xstreambroadband.com/); RACSA (www.racsa.co.cr); Miami-based Metro Web Partners (web site not yet available); American InterContinental University, (www.aiuniv.edu); Signature Consultants (www.sigconsult.com); and Telseon (www.telseon.com) and Miami-based Axe Multimedia Entertainment Group.
Current companies in NAP of the Americas Consortium include Global Crossing, which controls fiber optic cable throughout North America and Latin America; EPIK Communications, a telecommunications company headquartered in Florida; FPL FiberNet, a subsidiary of the FPL Group; NetRail, an international telecommunications "backbone" company; and Enron Broadband Services, a provider of high-bandwidth delivery and application services.
The Consortium provides a structure for the 87 domestic and international telecommunications companies that support the NAP of the Americas project. The NAP of the Americas is owned and operated by Terremark Worldwide, Inc. (AMEX:TWW) a provider of Internet infrastructure and managed services. The carrier-neutral NAP of the Americas, the fifth Tier-One Network Access Point, is presently under construction in downtown Miami at 50 NE 9th St., and is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2001. Meanwhile, an interim NAP facility is currently in operation to serve industry demands.
A Tier-One NAP is a high-speed Internet data exchange and connection facility that brings together Internet access providers, enables interconnection between geographic regions and allows communication between customers of various providers. The NAP of the Americas will route Internet traffic between the United States, North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. The NAP will fuel the growth of Florida's economy by generating high-paying jobs, attracting many new companies and creating new technology infrastructure investments and closes the digital divide between North and South America.
About the NAP of the Americas Consortium:
The consortium's purpose is to spearhead the NAP initiative and support the development of a tier-one Network Access Point (NAP) in South Florida. A NAP is a high-speed, Internet data exchange and connection point that ties Internet access providers together to facilitate Internet traffic between customers of various providers and geographic regions. The NAP of the Americas will handle Internet traffic between the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe into the U.S. through its downtown Miami location. The initiative has been facilitated by EPIK Communications. For information on the NAP of the Americas Consortium, visit www.napoftheamericas.com.