Connected Nation pairs with Newby Ventures on U.S. internet exchange joint venture
U.S. broadband-access-focused nonprofit Connected Nation (CN) says it has created a 50/50 joint venture with Hunter Newby and his Newby Ventures LLC personal holding company to build and operate at least 125 new carrier-neutral internet exchange points (IXPs) across the U.S. The joint venture, called "Connected Nation Internet Exchange Points LLC" (CNIXP), will target regional hub communities through which smaller cities and rural areas will be able to participate in the evolution of internet connectivity.
According to CN, 14 U.S. states do not have carrier-neutral IXP facilities. The organization has identified 125 hub communities in 43 states and four U.S. territories where IXPs are needed. The joint venture will focus on collaboration with public and private research universities to establish IXPs on their campuses as part of its activities. The list of CNIXP's 125 target communities can be found on the joint venture’s website.
CNIXP last September applied for its first federal grant under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA’s) "Enabling Middle-Mile Broadband Infrastructure" Grant Program to build five new IXP facilities in Wichita, KS; Lexington, KY; Starkville, MS; Albuquerque, NM; and Stillwater, OK. NTIA is expected to begin making award announcements under this program beginning this March.
"For more than 20 years, Connected Nation has been committed to the premise that every community, regardless of location, should have robust, affordable, reliable connectivity," said Tom Ferree, chairman and CEO of CN. "Over the next several years, states will work in collaboration with the federal government to spend $42.45 billion on improved internet infrastructure under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Grant Program. One factor confronting the efficacy of that program will be that many areas still lack a neutral venue for networks to interconnect and exchange traffic locally—a fact that results in high prices and sluggish internet performance. Our JV aims to address that problem. No community deserves a second-class internet experience."
Newby has extensive experience in the provision of data center services and connectivity. He has been involved in the operations of such companies as ColoATL, DataVerge, Fibre Centre, Netrality Properties, NJFX, and The Telx Group, Inc.
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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.
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