Uniti inks ‘global internet provider’ to long-haul dark fiber deal
Fiber-optic network services provider Uniti Group Inc. (Nasdaq: UNIT) says it has signed a long-term contract with a customer it would only describe as “a large global internet provider” for long-haul dark fiber connectivity. The deal will enable connection among data centers in 12 cities in the Central and Southeastern U.S. and is one of the largest by total value Uniti has ever received.
The contract covers a combined 3100 route miles over several links that will connect internet traffic aggregation points and key infrastructure hubs. Those links include El Paso, TX, to San Antonio, TX; Indianapolis, IN, to Nashville, TN; Nashville to Atlanta; Dallas to Beaumont, TX; Houston, TX, to Jacksonville, FL; Tallahassee, FL, to Tampa, FL; and Miami to Tampa. The Houston-to-Jacksonville route will require the construction of 10 new in-line amplifier (ILA) shelters where Uniti’s customer will lease space and power to regenerate their optical signal. The locations also will be available for Uniti to lease additional space and power to other customers as well as enable Uniti to regenerate its own optical signals as it deploys its Private Wave Channel (PWC) product along this route in the near future.
“Today’s announcement represents one of the largest customer contracts, by total contract value, in Uniti’s history, encompassing over 10,600 fiber strand miles,” said Greg Ortyl, president of wholesale and strategic accounts at Uniti. “This existing customer continues to demonstrate confidence in Uniti’s ability to deliver unique, end-to-end infrastructure solutions that meet their increasing bandwidth demands. Furthermore, the new ILA shelters position us for incremental space and power lease-up and quicker deployment intervals of our PWC product when we commence the lighting of Houston to Jacksonville, allowing Uniti to offer 100G, 400G, and spectrum services along this route.”
Uniti expects to deliver the routes throughout 2023 and 2024.
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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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