MINNEAPOLIS – Telecommunications provider Brazil Telecom has selected Ellerbe Becket, along with a consortium of Brazilian contractors, to provide design, engineering and construction services for a data center in Brasilia, Brazil. The building, scheduled for completion in late 2002, is a key strategic step for Brazil Telecom as it prepares for a new competitive telecommunications market expected to unfold in South America during the next five years.

“This project is a symbol of changing times for Brazil Telecom,” said Ellerbe Becket Principal Peter Styx. “This new data center will enable broader business opportunities for the company, as the country takes it’s first steps toward competitive telecommunications services.”

The new building reflects a shift in business practices for Brazil Telecom, from a heavily regulated organization to an entrepreneurial, investor-driven company. This change will foster new business growth for the telecomm provider, broadening the spectrum of service offerings for its customers.

The Brazil Telecom project is the fourth mission critical-type project for Ellerbe Becket in Brazil (previous work includes one project for IBM and two projects for an international internet infrastructure company). Construction will be managed by the Hochtief/Jotâge Consortium.

About Ellerbe Becket Mission Critical Capabilities
Ellerbe Becket has designed and built mission critical facilities for the past 25 years, with more than US $600 million in raised-floor construction in the last five years alone.

An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.