Trading Desk: LighTrade to Deliver Aquila Energy’s Bandwidth

Posted: 01/2001

LighTrade to Deliver Aquila Energy’s
Bandwidth

LighTrade Inc. has announced a long-term commitment with Aquila Energy, in
which the utility company will use LighTrade’s pooling points for
telecommunications bandwidth it buys and sells.

LighTrade’s (www.lightrade.com)
delivery of bandwidth eliminates the normal time it takes to transfer bandwidth
among networks. The company’s pooling points can switch bandwidth among carriers
and service providers in minutes rather than months, which could eliminate
provisioning inefficiency, according to the LighTrade announcement.

"We are pleased that Aquila has selected LighTrade as a preferred
delivery mechanism for traded bandwidth," said Ted Pierson, CEO of
LighTrade, in a prepared statement. "The active presence in the bandwidth
trading market of a company with the risk management experience and resources of
Aquila will greatly assist carriers in reaping the benefits of a more efficient
market for telecommunications capacity.

"The presence of Aquila will further the development of the
infrastructure and trading activity necessary for an active market in bandwidth.
We are delighted to have Aquila as a major customer and an early driver in this
market."

According to LighTrade, benefits of its neutral polling points over others
include:

* Access to multiple bandwidth service providers with a single connection;

* Instantaneous switching among service providers at key network junction
points;

* Continual quality of service measurements; and

* Confidentiality and reliability.

LighTrade says it offers the carrier and trading communities flexibility and
new methods to assure quality and a sales channel to increase use of fiber
assets.

Based in Kansas City, Mo., Aquila Energy (www.aquilaenergy.com)
is one of the largest wholesalers of electricity and natural gas in North
America. It provides wholesale energy services in the United Kingdom and has a
presence in Germany, Scandinavia and Spain.

Aquila is a wholly owned subsidiary of UtiliCorp United (www.utilicorp.com).

"Bandwidth trading is a logical extension of our energy wholesale
trading and risk management capabilities and moves us toward our goal of also
becoming a premier global telecom merchant," said Sushil Nelson, senior
vice president and general manager of Aquila’s broadband services in the
release.

"Our decision to commit to LighTrade’s pooling points is a reflection of
our confidence that bandwidth trading will be a large and active market,"
Nelson said. LighTrade says it will have 13 to 15 pooling points in service in
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington by the first
quarter of 2001.