Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) says it plans to build additional fiber network infrastructure in Ohio. The new fiber-optic network cable will add almost 300 route miles in the Youngstown and Akron areas for the potential benefit of enterprise and mobile carrier customers. Zayo says it already has an anchor customer for the upcoming new fiber cable.
The new metro infrastructure, expected to be fully installed at some point next year, will complement Zayo’s existing long-haul connectivity through the Cleveland/Akron/Pittsburgh corridor. The new network routes will expand Zayo’s route diversity options through Youngstown. The company sees the requirement for the footprint expansion as part of a trend toward densification and increased demand for network diversity in Tier 2 and 3 markets, following on from increasing demand among Zayo’s customers to deploy services at the edge of the network. In addition to the anchor customer, Zayo expects the new fiber build will attract the attention of healthcare, universities, local government, data centers, and enterprises in the Akron and Youngstown areas.
“This investment elevates our strong position in Ohio, enabling stronger reliability, performance and critical diversity for our customers,” said Steve Orlando, senior vice president of Central Region at Zayo. “The expanded metro fiber routes will strengthen and expand our footprint to approximately 3,500 route miles, including connections to multiple on-net buildings and data centers in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo.”
Zayo management recently agreed to sell the company to a pair of private investors, Digital Colony Partners and the EQT Infrastructure IV fund (see “Digital Colony, EQT to buy fiber-optic network services supplier Zayo”).
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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.
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.
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