Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:LVLT) and Champion Communications today announced that Level 3's wholesale Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services are providing support for the recently announced Champion GOLD residential phone service offerings being sold to consumers nationwide through independent marketing representatives.

Champion, a global telecommunications company with headquarters in Greenville, S.C., purchased Level 3's (3)VoIP Enhanced Local service, as well as (3)VoIPSM Local Inbound and (3)Voice® Termination services to support its Champion GOLD phone service offerings.

"Level 3's VoIP services enable Champion to offer hosted VoIP solutions from which consumers can choose virtually 'plug-and-play' phone services," said John Walter, president and CEO of Champion. "Level 3 is today's only carrier with the VoIP technology leadership and nationwide capabilities to allow us to rapidly, aggressively, and cost effectively enter today's quickly evolving VoIP market."

With (3)VoIP Enhanced Local service, Champion can provide where available full-featured, cost-effective, high-quality local and long distance telephone service - including 911 and E911 - to consumers. Users with high-speed Internet connections, such as cable and DSL, can make and receive phone calls using existing analog touchtone telephones or digital IP telephones - eliminating the need to purchase traditional telephone service.

"We're excited that customers such as Champion are building innovative offerings like Champion GOLD on top of Level 3's (3)VoIP Enhanced Local business and residential platform, " said Donna Lachance, senior vice president of Softswitch Services for Level 3. "The Champion GOLD service demonstrates the value that (3)VoIP Enhanced Local offers our customers, namely the ability to increase revenues by helping accelerate and expand their launch of high-quality VoIP offerings tailored to their customers' needs, thus differentiating themselves from competitors while also avoiding costly build-outs."

For information about Champion GOLD pricing and service packages, please visit www.Championcommunications.biz/1002294.