Carrier1, listed at Neuer Markt: CJN and NASDAQ: CONE, will own 60 percent and Net Insight, listed at Stockholm Stock Exchange: NETI-B, will be the owner of 40 percent in the new company. According to the agreement, Carrier1 places an initial order, valued at 1 million USD, for Net Insight 's switching platform, for some of the equipment toward the implementation of the joint venture.
The new company intends to offer professional streaming and file transfer video services to TV and media companies across Europe's major cities. The ability to transfer real-time video will allow production companies to cut costs of satellite transmission and will enable centralised editing and efficient access to archives. With fibre transmission and an end-to-end digital process, it will also be possible to maintain better picture quality throughout the various steps of production.
"Carrier1 has built a low cost high speed pan-European network that is ideally suited to provide excellent connectivity solutions to the TV and film production industry ", says Stig Johansson, President and CEO at Carrier1. "Carrier1 believes that video and other digital content transfers will consume a signifcant portion of its network capacity five years from now."
The Joint Venture will provide its services over Carrier1 high-speed fibre optic network using Net Insight's multi-service broadband switching platform. Carrier1's fibre-optic network today connects 35 major cities in 12 European countries and includes capacity across the Atlantic. By the end of 2001 Carrier1 expects to have more than 50 cities connected.
"There are hundreds of TV-broadcasters in Europe", says Bengt Olsson, CEO at Net Insight. "They all need to transfer footage between numerous fixed locations such as local studios, arenas and independent production companies, and Net Insight is founded on the idea that optical networks offer a very attractive alternative for rich media transport.
To learn more about real-time wide media networking technology, view a feature with Per Lindgren, PhD Telecommunications and founder of Net Insight, at:
www.netinsight.net/press
About Carrier1
Carrier1 International S.A. is a leading European provider of end-to-end Internet, voice, bandwidth, data centre and access solutions to large users of communication services. Carrier1 provides its clients with carrier-grade transport and network solutions as well as end-user ready value added services. Carrier1 customers brand and market these solutions and services to their respective end-users.
The Carrier1 pan-European, inter-city fiber network connects 12 countries and currently spans over approximately 14,000 contracted route kilometers, connecting points-of-presence in 35 European cities. Carrier1 is operational in all 12 countries and has secured all the necessary interconnects and operational licenses that allow it to provide network solutions and end-user-ready, value-added services. Carrier1 has completed 2 metro ring fibre networks and is currently constructing 6 metro ring fibre networks and expanding one existing metro fibre network. Carrier1 plans to build/acquire additional city-ring fiber networks. Carrier1 has space available for service in data centre facilities and these co-location facilities are marketed under the name ClearSpace.
About Net Insight
Net Insight develops and markets network switches for fibre-optic broadband networks. Using Net Insight solutions, operators can offer everything from new advanced real-time services to studio-quality video, and Internet communication to traditional telephony and data. The services can be supplied across one and the same infrastructure simply and cost-effectively. Net Insight has around 140 employees in Sweden and the USA. The company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. For more information, please see www.netinsight.net
Note: References to the website address of any person including of Net Insight are not intended to create an active link to such website. Carrier1 disclaims any responsiblity for the contents in any such webstie.
Forward Looking Statements:
The information contained in this press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S.federal securities laws. These statements include those relating to: (i) introduction and implementation of theNetInsight technology and the results related thereto , (ii) the impact of the announced Joint Venture services for production companies, (iii) the suitablility of the Carrier1 network for the Joint Venture services, (iv) the estimate on consumption of network capacity by video and digital content transfers, (v) the ability of the NetInsight technology to meet the expected demands, and (vii) NetInsight being the sole vendor of the required technology.
These statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Carrier 1 International S.A., and performance is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to: adverse developments in the application and implementationof the NetInsight technology for the Joint Venture services, adverse regulatory, technological or competitive developments, decline in demand for Carrier1 or Joint Venture services or products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and services, pressure on pricing resulting from competition, unforeseen construction delays, and failure to receive on a timely basis necessary permits or other governmental approvals, and failure to obtain any necessary financing if management’s business plan assumptions are not met, and failure of third parties with whom the Company or Joint Venture has contracted including for the supply or maintenance of infrastructure components. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, uncertainties and other factors affecting Carrier1, please refer to Carrier1’s prospectus and 10-K,10-Q and 8-K reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its 10-K for the year ended 31 December 1999 and its 10-Q for the 3-month period ended 31 March 2000, the 3-month period ended 30 June 2000 and the 3-month period ended September 30, 2000.