Lightpath’s new fiber build capitalizes on Eastern Pennsylvania's emerging hyperscale data center ecosystem
Key Highlights
- Lightpath is building 130 miles of AI-grade fiber in Eastern Pennsylvania to support the region’s growing hyperscale data center industry.
- The new network will connect Eastern Pennsylvania with major hubs like Northern Virginia and New York City, enabling low-latency, high-capacity data transfer.
- The project leverages the region’s diverse power sources, including nuclear, hydroelectric, and renewable energy, to support AI workloads.
- Expected to be completed by mid-2026, the network will offer dark fiber, wavelengths up to 800 Gbps, Ethernet, and Internet services.
- This expansion aims to serve hyperscalers, enterprises, governments, and wireless providers, strengthening the region’s digital infrastructure.
For more on Lightpath’s expansion efforts:
- Lightpath responds to Phoenix's hyperscaler fiber demands
- Lightpath targets fiber-based AI opportunities in Columbus
- Lightpath Miami targets dark fiber data center opportunities
- Lightpath sets new optical fiber network expansion and customer service course
- Lightpath enhances fiber reach with United Fiber and Data (UFD) purchase
Lightpath is constructing 130 route miles of AI-grade fiber infrastructure in Eastern Pennsylvania to meet the needs of the region’s rapidly developing hyperscale data center market and the service provider’s
Due to the region’s unique power infrastructure, the Susquehanna region in Eastern Pennsylvania has ushered in a score of new AI-scale data center projects.
A key attraction for hyperscalers to locate data centers in Eastern Pennsylvania is twofold--diverse power sources and various high speed network options.
Leveraging the Susquehanna River's resources, multiple energy facilities, including nuclear power, hydroelectric power and renewable energy, the Susquehanna region in Eastern Pennsylvania has seen a proliferation of AI-scale data center project announcements recently.
Lightpath’s fiber build-out strategy will connect Eastern Pennsylvania with key tech and population hubs like Northern Virginia and New York City. This proximity allows for high-scale connectivity with low latency.
A rippling effect
Lightpath’s new network in Eastern Pennsylvania will have an influence on other surrounding key data center markets.
When combined with Lightpath’s existing fiber footprint, the new network will enable ultrahigh bandwidth connectivity between the new hyperscale AI data center facilities in Eastern Pennsylvania with Ashburn, Virginia, the world’s largest data center and cloud ecosystem.
It will also connect Eastern Pennsylvania to New York City and New Jersey, the largest population centers in the country. Lightpath expects to complete the new network route in mid-2026.
As it does in other markets where it has a fiber presence, Lightpath will offer a full range of AI-grade network infrastructure and connectivity services on the Pennsylvania fiber assets, including high-count dark fiber, conduit, wavelengths up to 800 Gbps, Ethernet and Internet services.
Besides serving hyperscalers, the network will be available to support the connectivity requirements of enterprises, educators, governments, carriers, and wireless providers.
“The Susquehanna region in Pennsylvania represents a massive opportunity for AI digital infrastructure given the unique power capacity and data center plans announced for the area,” stated Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath. “Additionally, the area’s proximity to the densely populated Northeast will provide our customers with high-scale connectivity options for latency-sensitive AI workloads that would not be possible from data centers in other parts of the country.”
Multi-market expansion
While Eastern Pennsylvania is Lightpath’s latest fiber build targeting emerging AI opportunities, it’s not its first.
Eastern Pennsylvania is Lightpath’s third new regional network built to AI specifications, announced this year following the company’s entrances into the Phoenix market in February and the Columbus market in April.
Tim Haverkate, EVP of Major Infrastructure Solutions, Lightpath, said this project is “continuing evidence of the trust Lightpath has earned through our tailored approach in connecting these large-scale AI infrastructure markets.”
These network builds are all centered around Lightpath’s pursuit of AI demands. In January, it announced $110 million of AI-related bookings in 2024, with a remaining demand pipeline of approximately $1 billion.
It said its 2024 bookings and pipeline were driven by demand from all large hyperscalers looking to secure massive bandwidth for current and future AI initiatives.
Lightpath indicated it sees “significant sales and demand across more than 10 markets, including existing and new markets.”
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About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
