PAIX.net, Inc. Opens New Facility in Virginia;Deployment of Neutral Internet Exchange Gives...

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 2000

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. (MFN) (Nasdaq:MFNX) subsidiary PAIX.net, Inc., the original carrier-neutral Internet exchange, has opened a second facility in Vienna, Virginia. As one of the largest Internet

The new facility will provide PAIX's diverse group of customers, including ISPs, content providers, carriers and network providers, with the secure, reliable, neutral peering environment they insist upon to grow their businesses in the nation's capital and northern Virginia area.

Unlike traditional network access points (NAPs), PAIX is not owned or controlled by a telecommunications company or carrier, allowing customers maximum flexibility and service choice. This neutrality, combined with PAIX's proven track record and the freedom of choice it offers customers, sets PAIX apart from other network access points and newcomers to the Internet exchange business, and has allowed it to become a pivotal player in the development and growth of the Internet.

"PAIX's penetration into the Virginia region offers us the choice and neutrality that are key to our peering needs," said Bob Marggraf, chief operating officer of Cidera, Inc. "They have provided us with excellent service at their Palo Alto facility and we look forward to continuing the relationship as they roll out to other markets."

Located in Vienna, Virginia, the new PAIX facility will have the advanced technology and reliable, secure environment that customers have come to expect from PAIX. The steel frame building houses a physical infrastructure complete with redundant back-up power providing seven days of runtime, fully grounded rack systems, and structured, modular cabling infrastructure providing Cat5e, Coax and fiber-optic (single- and multi-mode) connectivity throughout the facility. Environmental controls include advanced temperature control systems and a Very Early Smoke Detection Alarm (VESDA) throughout the building. High-level security is implemented through 24x7 monitoring by surveillance cameras, security guards, and escorted access to equipment.

This physical infrastructure is combined with advanced equipment and a staff with extensive experience in facilities operations and physical layer connectivity to deliver premier customer service and support. In addition to the Virginia facility, PAIX will open new Internet Exchanges in Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Dallas and Amsterdam by the end of the year.

"Because of its strategic significance for Internet-centric companies and its role as a major hub for carriers and ISPs, the Washington D.C. suburbs in northern Virginia provide an ideal location for a PAIX facility," said Tim Guarnieri, vice president of PAIX. "As one of the largest points where networks come together to exchange data, PAIX will benefit from, and contribute to, the positive development of the region's Internet infrastructure."

Metromedia Fiber Network's planned deployment of an all-optical IP architecture over a dedicated fiber-optic network that reaches throughout the local loop in 67 cities in North America and Europe will seamlessly connect all MFN and PAIX facilities. This expansive network will provide MFN and PAIX customers with exceptionally fast and reliable connectivity to the Internet. The improved capacity and reach of the network, with up to multi-terabit-per-second capacity, combined with world-class co-location facilities, provides an ideal IP infrastructure for Internet centric companies.

About PAIX

PAIX, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, began operations in 1996 as Digital Equipment Corporation's Palo Alto Internet Exchange. Having proven itself as a vital part of the Internet infrastructure, PAIX serves as a packet switching center for ISPs. PAIX also offers secure, fault-tolerant co-location services to ISPs. PAIX is the only major commercial IX that is not owned by a telecommunications carrier, which enables ISPs at PAIX to form public and private peering relationships with each other and choose from multiple telecommunications carriers for circuits, all within the same facility. PAIX is a subsidiary of Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. To ensure its neutrality, it operates as a separate entity with its own management and technical advisory board comprised of industry experts. For additional information about PAIX, call 877-PAIXnet (877/724-9638) or visit its Web site at www.paix.net.

About Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc.

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc., the leading provider of end-to-end optical network solutions, is revolutionizing the fiber optic industry. By offering virtually unlimited, unmetered bandwidth at a fixed cost, Metromedia Fiber Network is eliminating the bandwidth barrier and redefining the way broadband capacity is sold. Metromedia Fiber Network is extending metropolitan fiber optic infrastructure to the end user in strategic top-tier markets, enabling its customers to implement the latest data, video, Internet and multimedia applications. In addition to its current expansion in 51 cities in North America, Metromedia Fiber Network is establishing an international presence with planned fiber optic network builds in 16 cities throughout Europe.

Together with its subsidiaries, PAIX.net, Inc., the leading neutral Internet Exchange, and AboveNet Communications, Inc., a leading provider of co-location and Internet connectivity solutions, Metromedia Fiber Network is unleashing the full potential of the Internet. The combined company facilitates the explosive growth of e-commerce and advanced Internet applications by delivering secure, reliable and scaleable optical networks and IP services to Internet content and service providers, carriers and enterprise users worldwide. For more information about Metromedia Fiber Network, please visit the company's Web site at www.mmfn.com.

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 Metromedia Fiber Network, including the most recently filed Forms S-3, 10-K and 10-Q.