Level 3 Communications

What Level 3 Communications does

Level 3 Communications, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN; formerly CenturyLink), into which it was absorbed following CenturyLink's approximately $34 billion acquisition in 2017 and the parent's subsequent 2020 rebrand. The company was originally founded in 1991 as an independent telecommunications carrier that grew through major acquisitions of Global Crossing ($3B, 2011), TW Telecom ($5.7B, 2014), and Black Lotus Communications (2015), among others. Today its operations sit inside Lumen, where it provides the IP transit backbone and fiber infrastructure that anchor the parent's enterprise and wholesale networking business.

The subsidiary's underlying technology centers on a global fiber optic network recognized as the world's largest peered network per CAIDA AS rank (January 2025), with 58 million intercity fiber miles planned by 2031. The product portfolio spans core connectivity (Wavelengths up to 400 Gbps, Dark Fiber, Ethernet, Dedicated Internet Access up to 100 Gbps, Internet On-Demand, Multi-Cloud Gateway, Private Connectivity Fabric), security (DDoS Mitigation, SD-WAN, SASE, Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence), communications (Cloud Voice, UC&C, Contact Center, Voice Complete, Vyvx broadcast), and infrastructure services (Colocation, Edge Compute and Storage). Distribution is primarily direct enterprise field sales augmented by a channel partner program, a self-serve Lumen Connect portal for mid-market, strategic technology partnerships with AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Cisco, VMware, Digital Realty, and Equinix, and wholesale distribution to carriers and service providers.

The business model is overwhelmingly subscription-based across connectivity, security, and communications services, with usage-based pricing layered on top through Network-as-a-Service offerings (Internet On-Demand, Network-as-a-Service). Professional services for network transformation engagements provide a smaller variable revenue stream. Customer segments include large distributed enterprises (primary), midsize businesses, public sector (federal, defense, state/local, public safety, higher education), and wholesale carriers, addressed through verticalized go-to-market motions spanning data center operators, energy, financial services, gaming, healthcare, manufacturing, media, NeoCloud, pharmaceuticals, retail, and technology.

Name

Level 3 Communications

Legal name

Level 3 Communications, LLC

Website

https://lumen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Level 3 Communications, a wholly-owned Lumen Technologies subsidiary, operates the world's largest peered fiber network delivering IP transit, wavelengths up to 400 Gbps, dark fiber, enterprise connectivity, security, and UC&C services to enterprise, public sector, and wholesale customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Network Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Carrier Ethernet & Wavelength Wholesale (E-Line/E-LAN, OTN, lambda) (HDAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Network infrastructure services
• Fiber optic connectivity
• Enterprise networking solutions
• Cloud connectivity services
• Managed security services

Headquarters

HQ city

Broomfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Connectivity Services: Revenue from dedicated internet access, wavelengths, dark fiber, ethernet, and enterprise broadband services. Services support bandwidth requirements up to 100 Gbps and are delivered over the company's global fiber network.
2. Security Services: Revenue from DDoS protection, SD-WAN, and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) offerings that unify network and security in a centralized cloud-based experience.
3. Communication Services: Cloud-based voice and collaboration tools including UC&C, Cloud Voice, Contact Center, and specialty lines services.
4. Colocation and Edge Compute: Infrastructure services providing reliable colocation and edge compute storage to support business applications.
5. Network-as-a-Service (NaaS): Pay-as-you-go pricing model for rapid deployment of reliable, secure connectivity services that scale to business needs.
6. Professional Services: Consulting and implementation services for network transformation and digital transformation engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Level 3 Communications (now operating as Lumen Technologies) is a global telecommunications and network infrastructure company that sells connectivity, security, and communication services over its owned fiber-optic backbone. Core offerings include Dedicated Internet Access up to 100 Gbps, Wavelength services up to 400 Gbps, Dark Fiber, Ethernet, Multi-Cloud Gateway, Colocation, Edge Compute & Storage, DDoS Mitigation, SD-WAN, SASE, Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence, UC&C, Cloud Voice, Contact Center, and Network-as-a-Service delivered to enterprise, mid-market, public sector, and wholesale customers.

Product overview

Lumen Technologies (formerly Level 3 Communications) operates as a telecommunications and network infrastructure company offering a comprehensive portfolio of connectivity, security, and communication services. The product portfolio includes core network infrastructure services (Dark Fiber, Wavelengths, Colocation, Ethernet, Dedicated Internet Access), security solutions (DDoS Mitigation, SD-WAN, SASE, Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence), unified communications (Cloud Voice, UC&C, Contact Center, Voice Complete), and AI-ready networking products (Multi-Cloud Gateway, Private Connectivity Fabric). Services are delivered through the Lumen Connected Ecosystem integrating hyperscale cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft) and data center partners (Digital Realty, Equinix). The company also maintains legacy brands including CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber for residential services, with former Level 3 subsidiaries now operating under the Lumen umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lumen Wavelengths High-capacity wavelength service handling up to 400 Gbps with minimal network elements for maximum speed, scalability and performance, delivered to enterprises over the Lumen fiber network.
• Lumen Dark Fiber High-capacity, scalable and secure fiber optic network dedicated to businesses and managed by Lumen, providing enterprises with private dark fiber capacity.
• Lumen Colocation Reliable data center colocation infrastructure supporting business applications and growth in market presence.
• Lumen Dedicated Internet Access Secure, reliable and dedicated enterprise-grade internet service for midsize to large businesses with connectivity up to 100 Gbps.
• Lumen Internet On-Demand Rapidly deployable dedicated internet connectivity over multi-service ports delivered as Network-as-a-Service with pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Lumen Ethernet Secure, high-speed Ethernet connections between locations, data centers and cloud providers for instant access to business resources.
• Lumen Multi-Cloud Gateway Simplified AI-ready networking between clouds, data centers and premises delivered through one automated gateway.
• Lumen Private Connectivity Fabric Private, low-latency network with programmable fabric designed for heavy AI workloads and high-capacity performance.
• Lumen DDoS Mitigation Automated self-service DDoS protection that combats complex, costly and persistent denial-of-service threats.
• Lumen SD-WAN Fully-managed or co-managed SD-WAN with hybrid connectivity that enhances WAN performance while minimizing risk.
• Lumen SASE Secure Access Service Edge solution unifying network and security in a centralized, cloud-based experience for distributed enterprises.
• Lumen Cloud Voice Cloud-based voice and collaboration tools maximizing customer experience delivered on a secure, high-performance platform.
• Lumen UC&C Unified Communications and Collaboration solution combining voice, video and chat to enable savings and productivity for enterprise teams.
• Lumen Contact Center Omnichannel customer experience / contact center solution that is quick to deploy and easy to use for transforming customer interactions.
• Lumen Voice Complete Cloud-ready SIP services and APIs maximizing voice performance and reliability while simplifying management without replacing TDM technology.
• Vyvx Broadcast Solutions End-to-end managed broadcast services for live events and on-demand video from acquisition to delivery.
• Lumen Edge Compute & Storage Edge computing and storage solutions that bring compute resources closer to data sources for reduced-latency applications.
• Lumen Enterprise Broadband Reliable, high-speed enterprise broadband with extensive reach, built to scale with business requirements.
• Black Lotus Labs
• Lumen Network-as-a-Service On-demand, pay-as-you-go Network-as-a-Service that quickly delivers reliable, secure connectivity services scaling to business needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% reduction in DDoS attacks for Micro Center with continuous threat detection and managed response
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner in the Lumen Connected Ecosystem, enabling enterprises to access AWS services through Lumen's network infrastructure.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner enabling integrated cloud and connectivity solutions for enterprise customers.
• Google CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle Cloud is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner providing integrated cloud connectivity solutions.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationCisco is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner with technology integrations for network solutions.
• VMwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationVMware is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner with integrations for virtualization and cloud solutions.
• Digital RealtycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Realty is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner providing data center interconnection services.
• EquinixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquinix is listed as a Strategic Technology Partner for data center ecosystem connectivity.
• US Telecom - The Broadband AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade association partnership to shape industry standards and accelerate network modernization through policy advocacy.
• AI Infrastructure CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partnership focused on advancing AI infrastructure policy and standards to support AI innovation.
• Alliance for Critical InfrastructuremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to strengthen critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity resilience.
• Communications Sector Coordinating CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSector coordination partnership for critical infrastructure security and emergency response.
• Fiber Broadband AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership to advocate for fiber broadband deployment and connectivity expansion policies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Verizon Business: Major US incumbent carrier with global enterprise networking, managed services, and wholesale offerings. Competes with Level 3/Lumen in enterprise WAN, wavelengths, and global managed network services.
• AT&T Business: Major US incumbent carrier with national fiber footprint, enterprise connectivity, and managed services. Competes with Level 3/Lumen across enterprise networking, wavelengths, and managed SD-WAN.
• Lumen Technologies: Parent company of Level 3 Communications; Lumen is the public entity that now operates Level 3's network assets as part of its broader enterprise and wholesale portfolio. Directly comparable in services, footprint, and customer base.
• NTT Communications: Global Tier-1 carrier under NTT Group providing enterprise connectivity, managed services, and wholesale capacity. Comparable in global enterprise and wholesale networking with overlapping Asia-Pacific and transatlantic footprint.

Direct peers

• Arelion (formerly Telia Carrier): Global Tier-1 IP backbone and fiber operator headquartered in Stockholm, serving carriers, content providers, and enterprises. Directly comparable to Level 3 in IP transit, wavelengths, and wholesale Ethernet services.
• Cogent Communications: Global IP transit and fiber-based carrier serving enterprise and wholesale customers with on-net fiber and Tier-1 internet services. Directly comparable in IP transit and metro fiber to Level 3's wholesale business.
• Hurricane Electric: Large global IPv6-native internet backbone and colocation provider focused on IP transit and interconnection. Comparable as a wholesale carrier peer, particularly in IP transit and colocation.
• GTT Communications: Global Tier-1 IP network operator providing managed networking, security, and cloud connectivity to enterprise and wholesale customers. Comparable in global IP backbone, MPLS, and enterprise managed services.
• Zayo Group: Independent fiber operator providing wavelengths, dark fiber, ethernet, and managed connectivity to enterprise and wholesale customers across North America and Europe. Closely comparable in core fiber services and target customer segments.

Others

• Equinix: Global colocation and interconnection provider with Equinix Fabric software-defined interconnection. Partners with Level 3/Lumen but also offers adjacent connectivity services and competes in data center cross-connects for enterprise multi-cloud needs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Level3
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lumentechnologies
• Facebookfacebook.com/level3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/level-3-communications

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A11 records

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Level 3 Communications