Allied Fiber begins installation of Miami-to-Atlanta fiber-optic network route

Allied Fiber LLC has begun the second leg of its ambitious plans to ring the United States with a network-neutral, integrated dark fiber, colocation, and interconnection system. The company says it has inaugurated construction on a segment that will begin in Miami, then run north to Valdosta, GA, where it will connect with 150 miles of Allied Fiber’s existing fiber-optic network. The segment will then continue to Atlanta.

The new segment is part of the second phase of Allied Fiber’s nationwide fiber project (see "Allied Fiber to construct nationwide dark fiber cable system"). The company aims to offer access to dark fiber and colocation facilities on a network-neutral, open-access basis to such customers as submarine cable systems, large wireline and wireless carriers and network operators, private enterprises, cooperatives, cable television companies, and data center operators. The network is the brainchild of Hunter Newby, CEO and co-founder of Allied Fiber, and features a unique construction approach designed to make it easy for customers to connect to the network and access Allied Fiber's colocation facilities (see “Bubble-era ambition in a post-bubble world”).

“Every element of Allied Fiber’s unique system design is being deployed and utilized in this segment, which also is expected to drive economic growth, productivity gains, and jobs for the counties and states that we pass through,” Newby explained via a press release. “We appreciate the commitment and support of the domestic and global network community and look forward to completing these much needed segments of our system and many more to come.”

The new segment will run 754 route miles, with the Jacksonville-to-Atlanta segment accounting for 360 of them. The route will initially use a 528-count fiber cable from Miami to Jacksonville and a 216-count fiber cable from Jacksonville to Atlanta. Allied Fiber’s route includes a multi-duct design that ultimately will allow for intermediate access to the long-haul fiber duct through a parallel short-haul fiber duct all along the entire route.

“The Miami to Atlanta route marks an important milestone for Allied Fiber,” said Jason Cohen, president and COO of Allied Fiber, in the same press release. “We have listened closely to market demand, and with anchor customers requiring network connectivity options along this corridor, we worked diligently to create a solution. Our route will also intercept several sub-sea cable landing points and key data centers along the Florida coast in Jacksonville, Boca Raton and Miami that will meet additional customer needs.”

Allied Fiber plans to link 11 colocation facilities in this segment of the route. There will be six colocation facilities between Miami and Jacksonville and five more between Jacksonville and Atlanta. The Miami to Atlanta route is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.

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