Abovenet Expands Relationship With Equinix With Fiber Connectivity Agreement

AboveNet to Provide Fiber Links Between Equinix Silicon Valley Data Centers; Equinix to Acquire AboveNet Lease for San Jose Data Center

NEW YORK , December 08, 2004 – AboveNet, Inc. the premier metro network access provider for businesses, today announced that it will provide fiber connectivity that Equinix will use to link and manage its three Internet Business Exchange ™ (IBX®) data centers in the Silicon Valley. In addition, Equinix will assume AboveNet’s lease for 103,000 square feet of data center space in San Jose, with AboveNet retaining some of the data center space for existing customers. Further , AboveNet has entered into an agreement with Equinix enabling AboveNet to offer hosting services in Equinix data centers.

The move extends AboveNet’s Open Optics initiative – a core part of its strategy to leverage its key assets and create nationwide access to its optical network. AboveNet continues to extend its network by creating lit fiber links to major data centers, carrier hotels, high-traffic POPS, enterprises and office buildings in major markets throughout the North America.

“Our relationship with Equinix expands our data center footprint in key markets and enables us to broaden access to our network,” said Bill LaPerch, president and chief executive officer of AboveNet. “Through our presence in Equinix’s Silicon Valley data centers, AboveNet can provide lit services for Equinix customers from the data center to any metro location,” LaPerch added.
“Having access to AboveNet’s private fiber optic network to link our three data centers provides us with the ability to scale our business and extend our carrier neutral offering throughout Silicon Valley,” said Peter Van Camp, chief executive officer of Equinix. “This deal allows our customers to access over 50 carriers and ISPs in our Silicon Valley centers.”

About AboveNet, Inc.
AboveNet, Inc. is a premier metro network access provider for businesses . AboveNet builds and operates an office-to-office, 100-percent optical network enabling customers to create an efficient, cost-effective network that breaks economic and performance barriers imposed in the last mile by complex legacy telecom infrastructures. With one of the most extensive metropolitan optical networks in the world, data centers in both the US and Europe, top quality managed services and a high-performance IP network, AboveNet is able to offer the most flexible and complete information exchange solutions in the industry.

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This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause or contribute to such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. This also includes such factors as are described from time to time in the SEC reports filed by the Company including the most recently filed Forms S-3, 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K.