Windstream has finished its new long-haul dark fiber route connecting three southern markets—Tulsa, Little Rock and Memphis.
The new Little Rock to Memphis route is an addition to the company’s initial segment, dubbed the “T-Rock Express,” released to customers in August 2022, which connects Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Little Rock.
In May 2022, Windstream Wholesale announced the beginning of the route expansion from Little Rock to Memphis.
The original Tulsa-to-Little Rock segment extends 310 miles, and the new extension from Little Rock to Memphis provides an additional 145 fiber miles, resulting in a total of 455 fiber miles of 432-count, high-capacity fiber.
Additionally, the lit services of Managed Spectrum and 400G waves are also available for immediate turn-up along the entire route, offering customers further flexibility and diversity.
In 2022, the service provider became one of the first carriers to offer nationwide availability of Managed Spectrum. This new network architecture solution empowers customers to deliver high capacity with increased flexibility, reduced costs and faster deployment times.
"The construction and expansion of this route represents a concerted effort from our team and partners to not only meet but exceed our customers' expectations,” said Joe Scattareggia, president of Windstream Wholesale.
A partnership approach
To complete the route, Windstream joined forces with ADB Companies.
ADB has helped Windstream in constructing networks, connections, and establishing partnerships throughout the telecommunications sector across the country.
"The foundation of successful project execution lies in cultivating strong relationships with our partners,” said Karl-Arne Hegewald, senior vice president of network Infrastructure at Windstream. “Our collaboration with ADB empowers us to navigate the complexities of constructing long-haul routes, ensuring that we deliver a top-notch product to our customers precisely as promised."
Focus on flexibility, visibility
Windstream’s Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) provides open and disaggregated networking infrastructure, enabling wholesale and enterprise technology customers to select unique custom routes, maintain operational insights with Windstream’s Network Intelligence functions, and place their networks closer to the edge to serve end-users better.
Another key focus of the ICON network is the ability to manage network health proactively.
Windstream Wholesale has deployed an integrated OTDR system across most of its nationwide network. It enables real-time route monitoring and immediate notification and location of any fiber cut, dramatically speeding the fiber and service restoral process.
Providing visibility into a customer’s network health and performance, this advanced system will be available to customers by the middle of the first quarter of 2024, with installation being completed this month.
Windstream Wholesale has integrated VIAVI’s Remote Fiber Test System (RFTS) into its Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON). This tool further advances network intelligence functionality for Dark Fiber and Wavelength monitoring.
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