Akamai Expands Global Network to 1,200 Servers; Akamai's Internet content delivery network built in coordination with 40 leading network providers in 24 countries - Company Operations

Cambridge Telcom Report, Oct 11, 1999

Akamai Technologies, which operates a global Internet content delivery service that speeds up Web performance, announced Wednesday the geographic expansion of its network to 1,200 servers in 24 countries across 40 different networks. Utilizing the IP connectivity and hosting services of leading providers such as AT&T, Exodus, Global Crossing's Global Center division, Qwest Communications, Teleglobe, and UUNET, an MCI WorldCom Company, Akamai has built a worldwide network for fast and reliable Internet content delivery. This announcement marks the completion of Phase I of Akamai's network deployment schedule, surpassing the 1,000 server mark three months ahead of the Company's previously announced timeframe.

Akamai's Internet content delivery service enables major Web site owners to speed up Web site performance and improve reliability. To enable its service, Akamai deploys servers around the globe and close to Internet users, shortening the distance that Web content needs to travel. This worldwide server deployment, in combination with Akamai's unique technologies for real-time Internet traffic monitoring, content routing, and network management, form the foundation of the company's first service, FreeFlow. FreeFlow has already served over 40 billion Web site hits this year for customers such as CNN, GO Network and Yahoo!, totaling over 200 terabytes of content delivered.

Akamai's network spans multiple network providers to ensure broad geographic reach, high-performance, and reliability. To achieve these goals, Akamai has teamed with backbone providers, Web hosting companies, and broadband and narrowband ISPs to expand its server deployment, positioning servers closer to Internet end users on a global scale. Akamai is continuing to partner with additional network providers and currently has deployed servers within the following regions:

United States & Canada: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC

South America: Brazil Europe: Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Australia & New Zealand: New South Wales, Auckland, South Australia, Western Australia Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan Africa: Egypt In addition, agreements have been made and servers deployed at 40 of the world's network providers. A representative list of those providers includes:

AboveNet                          Infinity (Canada)
AT&T                              Internode (Australia)
CLEAR Net (New Zealand)           KDD (Japan)
Digex                             Level 3 Communications
eircom (Ireland)                  Pacific Internet Limited (Singapore)
Exodus                            PSINet
FlashNet                          Qwest Communications, Int'l, Inc.
Global Crossing's Global Center   Teleglobe
division                         UUNET, an MCI WorldCom Company
GTE Internetworking               Verio
iiNet (Australia)

"Akamai is excited to be working with these top-notch network providers and ISPs across the world," said George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Akamai. "In addition to giving our network global reach, each of our carrier and ISP partners provide us with access to their tremendous user base. Every network provider that we partner with becomes a key enabler in Akamai's effort to make the Internet a more enriching and interactive medium for major Web site owners and their customers."

Many of the network providers in Wednesday's announcement are ISPs which have participated in Akamai's Accelerated Network Partner program. In exchange for network connectivity and rack space, ISPs receive Akamai servers at no charge. By placing popular Web content inside the ISP's network, Akamai is able to cut the carrier's bandwidth expense and serve content faster to its subscribers. Additional information on joining Akamai's Accelerated Network Partner program is available at www.akamai.com/partners/accelerated.html Akamai Donates Servers for NetAid

When Akamai launched FreeFlow in April, the company planned to install 1,000 servers by the end of 1999. Due to higher than expected customer demand, and to support NetAid, a global initiative to raise awareness about extreme poverty, Akamai expedited its deployment schedule to install 1,200 servers by October for use by the NetAid Web site. Some of these servers will be used by Cisco and RealNetworks to stream the October 9th NetAid concerts live to an audience of up to 125,000 people.

The NetAid initiative, created by Cisco Systems and the United Nations Development Programme, and sponsored by Akamai and KPMG, includes an educational Web site at www.netaid.org as well as a series of concurrent musical concerts in Geneva, London, and New Jersey. The concerts, which will feature performers such as Bono, David Bowie, Sting and Wyclef Jean, will be Webcast live as well as broadcast over TV and radio. Many network providers, including some of those listed above, have donated bandwidth for the live NetAid Webcast. About Akamai