Thursday March 15, 2000

Press Release

Paul Vixie Returns to PAIX.net, Inc. as President

Will Lead Expansion of the World's First and Leading Neutral Internet Exchange

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2001--In a strategic move to enhance its core executive management team, PAIX.net, Inc., the first and leading neutral Internet exchange, has appointed Paul Vixie as the company's president. Mr. Vixie, a 20-year industry veteran and a founder of PAIX.net, will lead the company's international expansion and oversee all company operations, including sales, engineering and service.

PAIX.net, a subsidiary of Metromedia Fiber Network (MFN) (NASDAQ: MFNX), the leader in deployment of optical networking and Internet infrastructure within key metropolitan areas domestically and internationally, operates as a separate business unit with its own management and technical advisory team.

``Paul was a driving force behind the creation of the Internet and he envisioned PAIX.Net as a neutral Internet exchange in a landscape that saw increasing consolidation of Internet exchanges under telecommunications carriers,'' said Nick Tanzi, president and chief operating officer of Metromedia Fiber Network. ``Paul's impressive background and proven track record demonstrate that he has the drive, experience and leadership qualities to steer PAIX.Net through its expansion.''

About PAIX.net

PAIX.net, 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 carriers and ISPs. PAIX also offers secure, fault-tolerant co-location services to ISPs. It 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 http://www.paix.net.

About Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc.

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc., the leader in deployment of optical IP Internet infrastructure within key metropolitan areas domestically and internationally, is revolutionizing the fiber-optic industry. By offering virtually unlimited, unmetered metro-area communications capacity at a fixed cost, Metromedia Fiber Network is eliminating the bandwidth barrier and redefining the way broadband capacity is sold.

MFN's optical network enables its customers to implement the latest data, video, Internet and multimedia applications. Through its subsidiaries AboveNet Communications, Inc., the architect of the Internet Service Exchange (ISX), PAIX.net, Inc., the first and leading neutral Internet exchange, and SiteSmith, a leader in delivering comprehensive Internet infrastructure managed services, MFN is a leading provider of Internet connectivity, co-location and managed services solutions for high-bandwidth and business-critical applications. The Company offers a world-class network that provides co-location services and Internet connectivity for content providers, ISPs and application service providers. Its global optical Internet uses open peering and ``best exit'' technology to deliver fast, scaleable and reliable connections to the Internet, and improves the Internet experience for end-users.

For more information on AboveNet and its service offering visit the company's Web site at www.above.net. For more information about PAIX.net, Inc., visit the company's Web site at www.paix.net. For more information about SiteSmith, visit the company's Web site at www.sitesmith.com. 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 and 10-Q, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.

     Metromedia Fiber Network
     Kara Carbone
     914.683.6386
     kcarbone@mmfn.com
          or
     Gibbs & Soell Inc.
     Gary Gatyas
     212.697.2600
     ggatyas@gibbs-soell.com