XO Communications to provide fiber to Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking

MARCH 1, 2010 -- XO Communications (OTCBB: XOHO) announced that it is partnering with the Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking (MCAN) to provide a dark fiber ring to enable 10-Gbps services across the interconnected MCAN network.

MCAN is a collaboration of Memphis-based universities and hospitals, including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the University of Memphis, the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, and the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Through an interconnected networking strategy, these organizations plan to share content and information in a cost-effective and collaborative way.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development granted MCAN more than $2.3 million to fund the project in late 2009. In addition to XO Communications, MCAN has also enlisted CISCO/Pomeroy to provide a suite of networking products. MCAN expects the network to be fully functional by spring 2010 and plans to bring the collaborative networking concept to neighboring states, thereby broadening the scope of the network to include universities and healthcare institutions in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

Russell Ingram, president of MCAN, says the organization will strengthen the Memphis research community's contribution to future economic development in Tennessee. "In less than 10 years, first-generation broadband has profoundly changed our lives and the U.S. economy," Ingram said. "We can be certain that tomorrow's technological breakthroughs will be developed at the intersection of research, education, and industry. MCAN will ensure that Memphis and the State of Tennessee compete on the leading edge of computing technology, enabling major innovations in the biosciences and other strategic sectors."

XO Communications' dark fiber ring will enable 10-Gbps services for the coalition using the 495-route-mile XO metro network across the metropolitan Memphis area.

"XO Communications was the provider of choice for MCAN. XO understood the transformative nature of our project and made every effort to support this community initiative," said Ingram.

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