Dark Fiber & Infrastructure lands majority investment from IPI Partners

June 16, 2020

The company says it will use the cash infusion for expansion purposes, including development of high-capacity dark fiber and conduit networks in Northern Virginia and the extension of customer access to DF&I's Potomac River Crossing.

Stephen Hardy

DF&I supplies wholesale dark fiber and conduit that connects Northern Virginia's 'Data Center Alley' to a major Northeast U.S. telecom corridor. — DF&I supplies wholesale dark fiber and conduit that connects Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley" to a major Northeast U.S. telecom corridor.

Dark Fiber & Infrastructure, LLC (DF&I), which is wholesales dark fiber and conduit networks to carriers and enterprise customers, says it has agreed to a majority investment from IPI Partners, LLC. The company says it will use the cash infusion for expansion purposes, including development of high-capacity dark fiber and conduit networks in Northern Virginia and the extension of customer access to DF&I's Potomac River Crossing. Additional funding in the future will provide the capital necessary to potentially expand to new U.S. markets, DF&I adds.

Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020 subject to customary regulatory approvals, were not disclosed. IPI invests in data centers and other technology and connectivity-related real assets. It is co-sponsored by ICONIQ Capital, LLC and an affiliate of Iron Point Partners, LLC.

DF&I’s initial focus is to provide diverse, underground, low-latency connectivity from Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley" to a major Northeast U.S. telecom corridor. The company was founded in 2017 by John Schmitt and Judd Carothers, who have 23 years of experience working together in building, operating, and maintaining telecommunications infrastructure.

"This investment allows us to achieve our vision of being the partner of choice for hyperscale dark fiber and dedicated conduit networks in each of the markets where we have a presence," said Schmitt. "Our infrastructure in Northern Virginia and Maryland establishes us as the largest open access network currently available for lease in the region. We intend to move aggressively to further build specific network infrastructure that provides diversity, latency improvement, and scale that is required but not available in the market today."

"IPI's understanding of our business and the broader needs of our customers make them the ideal partner as we look to translate our success in Northern Virginia and Maryland to new regions ahead of hyperscale growth," added Carothers.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.