Level 3 Communications
Deutsche Bank Leveraged Finance Conference
Cautionary Statement & Pro Forma Adjustment
Some statements made in this presentation are forward-looking in nature and are based on management's
current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are
subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could
cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that
could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to:
successfully integrate the tw telecom acquisition or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits thereof; manage
risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; maintain and increase traffic on its network;
develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions;
avert the breach of its network and computer system security measures; develop new services that meet
customer demands and generate acceptable margins; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; manage
the future expansion or adaptation of its network to remain competitive; manage continued or accelerated
decreases in market pricing for communications services; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and
interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and
other personnel; successfully integrate the tw telecom and future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal,
regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate
its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional
information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. Statements in this presentation should be evaluated in light of these important
factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Comparisons to prior periods are being presented on a “pro forma” (PF) basis, assuming that the acquisition of tw
telecom took place on January 1, 2014. In addition, the growth rates disclosed in the presentation are on a year-
over-year basis. Revenue comparisons to prior periods are provided on a constant currency basis, unless
otherwise noted.
2
Agenda
3
 Level 3 Overview
 Financial Update
 Q&A
4
Level 3 Overview
Company Overview
5
Over $8B Pro Forma FY 2014 Total Revenue
13,000 Employees
Connecting 60+ Countries and Counting
Approx. 350 Multi-tenant Data Centers
200,000+Route Miles of Fiber Globally
OurCompany
Over $2.2B Pro Forma FY 2014 Adjusted EBITDA
Global Reach
6
Deep North America Metro Presence
7
Comprehensive Portfolio
8
*Available in Latam and EMEA today
Managed & Professional Services
• Private Line,
Wavelength, and
Ethernet Transport
• IPVPN, VPLS and
EVPL
• Converged
• Dark Fiber &
Managed Fiber
• Managed Network
Services
• Cloud Connectivity
• Data Centers
• Managed Hosting
Services*
DATA
NETWORKS
• Internet Services
• Vyvx® Solutions
• Content Delivery
Network (CDN)
CONTENT
DISTRIBUTION
• Voice
• Contact Center
• Unified
Communications
& Collaboration
• Audio, Video
and Web
Conferencing
Services
VOICE AND
UC&C
• DDoS Mitigation
• Secure Access
• Managed Security
• Security
Consulting
SECURITY
• WAN
Optimization
• Website
Acceleration
• Adaptive
Network Control
Solutions
APPLICATION
PERFORMANCE
9
Financial Update
10
Second Quarter 2015 Highlights
Profitable Revenue Growth
 Core Network Services revenue grew 5.4% year-over-year
 Enterprise CNS revenue grew 6.7% year-over-year (1)
Strong Adjusted EBITDA Margin Performance
 Adjusted EBITDA grew to $665 million; Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 32.3%
 Achieved $115 million in annualized run-rate Adjusted EBITDA synergies since acquisition close
Improving Free Cash Flow Trajectory
 Generated Free Cash Flow of $102 million
 Multiple capital markets transactions during the quarter
 Annualized interest expense savings of $84 million for transactions year-to-date
(1) Excludes UK Government Revenue
$1,886
$1,941
2Q14 PF 2Q15
CNS and Enterprise Revenue
11
CNS Revenue
($ in Millions)
2Q15 Enterprise CNS Pro Forma Revenue
Growth
Note: EMEA Enterprise growth excludes UK Government Business.
5.4%
Growth
Constant Currency
2.9%
Growth
As Reported
Revenue
Constant Currency
YoY%
As Reported
YoY%
Total Enterprise 6.3% 3.8%
North America 7.1% 7.0%
EMEA(3)
4.9% (3.5%)
Latin America 5.6% (7.6%)
 2Q15 CNS revenue churn(2) was 1.0%
(1) North America Wholesale CNS revenue benefited from larger dispute settlements during the quarter
(2) Level 3 measures revenue churn as disconnects of Core Network Services (CNS) monthly recurring revenue as a percentage of CNS revenue. This calculation excludes churn from
customers who disconnected existing service in a particular location but replaced it with new services in the same location. The calculation also excludes usage
(3) EMEA Enterprise CNS growth excludes UK Government Revenue
(1)
Second Quarter 2015 Revenue
12
94%
CNS
6%
WVS
11%
EMEA
29%
Wholesale
9%
Latin
America
80%
North America
71%
Enterprise
Total Revenue Mix
CNS Revenue
Mix by Region
CNS Revenue Mix by
Customer Type
Metric
($ in millions)
CNS Revenue
WVS Revenue
Total Revenue
2Q15
$1,941
$120
$2,061
Second Quarter 2015 CNS Revenue by Services
13
$893M
8.1% YoY Growth
IP & Data Services
$577M
Transport & Fiber
$321M
7.1% YoY Growth
Voice Services
$150M
Colocation &
Datacenter
3.0% YoY Growth
0.2% YoY Decline
Note: Year-over-Year changes in revenue are pro forma and on a constant currency basis
30%
Transport
& Fiber
16%
Voice Services
8%
Colocation
& Datacenter
2Q15 Percent of
CNS Revenue by
Service Type
46%
IP & Data
Growth on an as reported basis:
• IP& Data Services: 5.2% YoY Growth
• Transport & Fiber: 0.5% YoY Growth
• Voice Services: 4.9% YoY growth
• Colocation & Datacenter: 4.5% YoY decline
Network Access and Adjusted EBITDA Margins
14
Continued margin expansion
Network Access Margins Adjusted EBITDA Margins(1)
64.3%
66.2%
2Q14 PF 2Q15
29.4%
32.3%
2Q14 PF 2Q15
(1) Includes $5 million and $8 million of tw telecom integration-related expenses in 2Q15 and 2Q14PF, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Run Rate Synergies
15
Adjusted EBITDA
($ in millions)
Adjusted EBITDA Synergies
Metric
($ in millions) 2Q15 Total
Network Access Cost
Synergies
$11 $25
Operating Expense
Synergies
$9 $90
Total Annualized
Run-Rate Synergies
$20 $115
$5 million of integration-related
expenses in 2Q15
$200 million of expected annualized
run-rate Adjusted EBITDA savings
$597
$665
2Q14 PF 2Q15
(1) Includes $8 million of tw telecom integration-related expenses
(1)
2Q14 PF 2Q15
Capital Expenditures and Free Cash Flow
16
Capital Expenditures
($ in millions)
Free Cash Flow
($ in millions)
$62
$102
$40 million
Improvement
$332 $317
2Q14 PF 2Q15
Year to date, capital expenditures of
14% of total revenue
Higher Net Cash Interest Expense of
$219 million in 2Q15
Capital Structure Highlights
17
(1) Excludes capital leases and other debt of approximately $209 million
June 30, 2015(1)
($ in millions)
 As of June 30, 2015, the company
had pro forma cash and cash
equivalents of approximately $549
million
 Completed multiple capital market
transactions since beginning of the
year
$300
$815
$3,471
$640
$3,600
$1,200
$800
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Improving Credit Profile
18
Net Leverage and Average Interest Rate
 As of June 30, 2015, the company’s
net leverage was 4.1x
 Average interest rate was 5.1%,
compared to 6.8% in the second
quarter 2014
 Continue to target low end of 3-5x
net leverage range
6.8x 4.1x
8.4%
5.1%
2Q11 2Q15
Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA Average Interest Rate
19
Moody’s (Upgraded on 8/13/15)
 Outlook: Stable
 Corporate Family Rating: Ba3 from B2
Standard & Poor’s (Upgraded on 11/5/2014)
 Outlook: Stable
 Corporate Family Rating: BB-
Fitch (Upgraded on 8/28/15)
 Outlook: Stable
 Corporate Family Rating: BB-
Corporate Credit Ratings
Summary
20
 Enterprise-driven Revenue Growth
 Focus on Profitable Growth
 Continued Double Digit Adjusted EBITDA Growth
 Improving Free Cash Flow growth profile
 Continue to target low end of target leverage range of 3 to 5 times
 Improving credit metrics
Q&A
21

Deutsche Bank 23rd Annual Leveraged Finance Conference

  • 1.
    Level 3 Communications DeutscheBank Leveraged Finance Conference
  • 2.
    Cautionary Statement &Pro Forma Adjustment Some statements made in this presentation are forward-looking in nature and are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to: successfully integrate the tw telecom acquisition or otherwise realize the anticipated benefits thereof; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; avert the breach of its network and computer system security measures; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; manage the future expansion or adaptation of its network to remain competitive; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate the tw telecom and future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this presentation should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Comparisons to prior periods are being presented on a “pro forma” (PF) basis, assuming that the acquisition of tw telecom took place on January 1, 2014. In addition, the growth rates disclosed in the presentation are on a year- over-year basis. Revenue comparisons to prior periods are provided on a constant currency basis, unless otherwise noted. 2
  • 3.
    Agenda 3  Level 3Overview  Financial Update  Q&A
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Company Overview 5 Over $8BPro Forma FY 2014 Total Revenue 13,000 Employees Connecting 60+ Countries and Counting Approx. 350 Multi-tenant Data Centers 200,000+Route Miles of Fiber Globally OurCompany Over $2.2B Pro Forma FY 2014 Adjusted EBITDA
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Deep North AmericaMetro Presence 7
  • 8.
    Comprehensive Portfolio 8 *Available inLatam and EMEA today Managed & Professional Services • Private Line, Wavelength, and Ethernet Transport • IPVPN, VPLS and EVPL • Converged • Dark Fiber & Managed Fiber • Managed Network Services • Cloud Connectivity • Data Centers • Managed Hosting Services* DATA NETWORKS • Internet Services • Vyvx® Solutions • Content Delivery Network (CDN) CONTENT DISTRIBUTION • Voice • Contact Center • Unified Communications & Collaboration • Audio, Video and Web Conferencing Services VOICE AND UC&C • DDoS Mitigation • Secure Access • Managed Security • Security Consulting SECURITY • WAN Optimization • Website Acceleration • Adaptive Network Control Solutions APPLICATION PERFORMANCE
  • 9.
  • 10.
    10 Second Quarter 2015Highlights Profitable Revenue Growth  Core Network Services revenue grew 5.4% year-over-year  Enterprise CNS revenue grew 6.7% year-over-year (1) Strong Adjusted EBITDA Margin Performance  Adjusted EBITDA grew to $665 million; Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 32.3%  Achieved $115 million in annualized run-rate Adjusted EBITDA synergies since acquisition close Improving Free Cash Flow Trajectory  Generated Free Cash Flow of $102 million  Multiple capital markets transactions during the quarter  Annualized interest expense savings of $84 million for transactions year-to-date (1) Excludes UK Government Revenue
  • 11.
    $1,886 $1,941 2Q14 PF 2Q15 CNSand Enterprise Revenue 11 CNS Revenue ($ in Millions) 2Q15 Enterprise CNS Pro Forma Revenue Growth Note: EMEA Enterprise growth excludes UK Government Business. 5.4% Growth Constant Currency 2.9% Growth As Reported Revenue Constant Currency YoY% As Reported YoY% Total Enterprise 6.3% 3.8% North America 7.1% 7.0% EMEA(3) 4.9% (3.5%) Latin America 5.6% (7.6%)  2Q15 CNS revenue churn(2) was 1.0% (1) North America Wholesale CNS revenue benefited from larger dispute settlements during the quarter (2) Level 3 measures revenue churn as disconnects of Core Network Services (CNS) monthly recurring revenue as a percentage of CNS revenue. This calculation excludes churn from customers who disconnected existing service in a particular location but replaced it with new services in the same location. The calculation also excludes usage (3) EMEA Enterprise CNS growth excludes UK Government Revenue (1)
  • 12.
    Second Quarter 2015Revenue 12 94% CNS 6% WVS 11% EMEA 29% Wholesale 9% Latin America 80% North America 71% Enterprise Total Revenue Mix CNS Revenue Mix by Region CNS Revenue Mix by Customer Type Metric ($ in millions) CNS Revenue WVS Revenue Total Revenue 2Q15 $1,941 $120 $2,061
  • 13.
    Second Quarter 2015CNS Revenue by Services 13 $893M 8.1% YoY Growth IP & Data Services $577M Transport & Fiber $321M 7.1% YoY Growth Voice Services $150M Colocation & Datacenter 3.0% YoY Growth 0.2% YoY Decline Note: Year-over-Year changes in revenue are pro forma and on a constant currency basis 30% Transport & Fiber 16% Voice Services 8% Colocation & Datacenter 2Q15 Percent of CNS Revenue by Service Type 46% IP & Data Growth on an as reported basis: • IP& Data Services: 5.2% YoY Growth • Transport & Fiber: 0.5% YoY Growth • Voice Services: 4.9% YoY growth • Colocation & Datacenter: 4.5% YoY decline
  • 14.
    Network Access andAdjusted EBITDA Margins 14 Continued margin expansion Network Access Margins Adjusted EBITDA Margins(1) 64.3% 66.2% 2Q14 PF 2Q15 29.4% 32.3% 2Q14 PF 2Q15 (1) Includes $5 million and $8 million of tw telecom integration-related expenses in 2Q15 and 2Q14PF, respectively.
  • 15.
    Adjusted EBITDA andAdjusted EBITDA Run Rate Synergies 15 Adjusted EBITDA ($ in millions) Adjusted EBITDA Synergies Metric ($ in millions) 2Q15 Total Network Access Cost Synergies $11 $25 Operating Expense Synergies $9 $90 Total Annualized Run-Rate Synergies $20 $115 $5 million of integration-related expenses in 2Q15 $200 million of expected annualized run-rate Adjusted EBITDA savings $597 $665 2Q14 PF 2Q15 (1) Includes $8 million of tw telecom integration-related expenses (1)
  • 16.
    2Q14 PF 2Q15 CapitalExpenditures and Free Cash Flow 16 Capital Expenditures ($ in millions) Free Cash Flow ($ in millions) $62 $102 $40 million Improvement $332 $317 2Q14 PF 2Q15 Year to date, capital expenditures of 14% of total revenue Higher Net Cash Interest Expense of $219 million in 2Q15
  • 17.
    Capital Structure Highlights 17 (1)Excludes capital leases and other debt of approximately $209 million June 30, 2015(1) ($ in millions)  As of June 30, 2015, the company had pro forma cash and cash equivalents of approximately $549 million  Completed multiple capital market transactions since beginning of the year $300 $815 $3,471 $640 $3,600 $1,200 $800 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
  • 18.
    Improving Credit Profile 18 NetLeverage and Average Interest Rate  As of June 30, 2015, the company’s net leverage was 4.1x  Average interest rate was 5.1%, compared to 6.8% in the second quarter 2014  Continue to target low end of 3-5x net leverage range 6.8x 4.1x 8.4% 5.1% 2Q11 2Q15 Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA Average Interest Rate
  • 19.
    19 Moody’s (Upgraded on8/13/15)  Outlook: Stable  Corporate Family Rating: Ba3 from B2 Standard & Poor’s (Upgraded on 11/5/2014)  Outlook: Stable  Corporate Family Rating: BB- Fitch (Upgraded on 8/28/15)  Outlook: Stable  Corporate Family Rating: BB- Corporate Credit Ratings
  • 20.
    Summary 20  Enterprise-driven RevenueGrowth  Focus on Profitable Growth  Continued Double Digit Adjusted EBITDA Growth  Improving Free Cash Flow growth profile  Continue to target low end of target leverage range of 3 to 5 times  Improving credit metrics
  • 21.