Indiana Fiber Network touts fiber-optic network expansion plans

Statewide fiber-optic network service provider Indiana Fiber Network, LLC (IFN) has unveiled a multiyear network expansion plan that will see it add 100 Gigabit Ethernet transport capabilities as well as improve network reliability through the use of a meshed architecture.

The company, formed in March 2002, is owned by 20 local exchange telephone companies throughout the state. It provides a variety of services, including fiber-optic broadband, to both urban and rural areas in 52 Indiana counties.

"Our financial investment within the State of Indiana is truly noteworthy. IFN has over $75 million dollars of capital investment in Indiana. We expect to increase that in the next five years to over $100 million dollars in fiber plant and equipment," said Ron Galle, IFN Chief Financial Officer.

"This expansion plan leverages current fiber routes with improved fiber and electronic technology,” added IFN Vice President of Sales and Marketing August Zehner. "It is a significant step in our ongoing strategy to construct a statewide footprint to support the growing broadband needs of our customers."

IFN's core network electronics upgrade will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will cover more than 1,200 fiber route miles in Northern Indiana. The fiber route goes through Lafayette, Merrillville, South Bend, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Marion, Kokomo, Anderson, and Indianapolis. The second phase will address over 1,300 fiber route miles in Southern Indiana, with an expected completion date by 2016. It includes routes through Terre Haute, Jeffersonville, Columbus, Shelbyville, Bloomington, Greenwood, and Indianapolis.

The upgrade will include new ROADM platforms. "This deployment, coupled with the deployment of multi-terabit optical switches which will be configured to provide a meshed protection scheme, allows IFN to offer an enhanced range of high-speed fiber transport services including 1 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet to carriers, service providers, and enterprise customers," said Tom Bechtel, IFN’s vice president of operations.

Darryl Smith, Director of Network Operations, states: "The platform upgrade enables IFN to rapidly provision network services that support our customers' critical applications in a reliable and secure way. We are committed to meeting the expanding service assurance requirements of our customers; maintaining their service quality levels is a key focus."

The company did not reveal who will supply the equipment. It already has platforms from Ciena in the field (see "IFN taps Ciena for packet-optical upgrade").

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.