TeliaSonera International Carrier, Europe’s largest IP carrier, is pleased to announce that they will provide support for the technical infrastructure for CITIES XL, the upcoming city-building game from French publisher Monte Cristo. Monte Cristo will be utilizing TeleSonera’s Global IP network and specialized collocation services to power the data network behind CITIES XL.

Currently CITIES XL is in closed Beta stage and TeliaSonera is already working with Monte Cristo to support the game’s data infrastructure in the run up to its public release in 2009. Monte Cristo is projecting a significant increase in the number of online players over the next year, and for this reason feels that an outsourced infrastructure is the best strategy for fulfilling consumer demand and ensuring the best possible service for CITIES XL players.

“We are delighted that we will be providing the data communications infrastructure for Cities XL,” said Anna Mossberg Vice President of Product and Business Management, TeliaSonera International Carrier. “Merging video gaming with social networking and virtual worlds is something that has never been done before, and we are proud to be part of this. As the premier online gaming carrier of Europe, we are confident that we can support the technical needs of CITIES XL™, and look forward to an exciting partnership with Monte Cristo.”

Jérôme Gastaldi, CEO of Monte Cristo said, “We are expecting our user base to increase considerably and felt that we would be wise to make additional provisions for a substantial increase in data traffic, and TeliaSonera International Carrier was a perfect partner to meet this need. The technical side of the closed Beta has gone very smoothly indeed and we are all looking forward to the release of CITIES XL next year.“

TeliaSonera International Carrier provides wholesale international IP, Capacity and Voice services to major destinations in Europe and across the Atlantic. The services are based on TeliaSonera International Carrier’s wholly owned European and trans-Atlantic networks. As well as owning one of the largest network footprints in Europe, TeliaSonera International Carrier also has peering points in the US. TeliaSonera International Carrier is the leading carrier of IP and Voice traffic in Europe. TeliaSonera International Carrier is a company fully owned by the TeliaSonera Group. In 2007 TeliaSonera International Carrier was awarded for Best Wholesale Carrier by the World Communication Awards. Visit www.teliasoneraic.com