Cascadia FiberNet Inc., part of the Cascadia Gateway Initiative, has announced plans for an 864-strand fiber-optic network between Vancouver, British Columbia’s Harbour Centre and Seattle’s Westin Building Exchange. Work on the carrier-neutral fiber network should begin by this March with a goal of begin ready for service by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
The Cascadia Gateway Initiative comprises several projects aimed at supporting regional businesses in the Province of British Columbia and the State of Washington with connectivity between the province and state as well as to the Asia Pacific region. The initiative includes public and private sector participation.
The new fiber-optic network will be the largest fiber link constructed between Vancouver and Seattle, Cascadia FiberNet asserts. It is the first of eight projects of its kind, including links to Asia Pacific via a submarine network. “The Initiative being undertaken by Cascadia FiberNet is a critical next step forward in meeting the growing capacity demand north and south of the border,” said Michael Boyle, strategic planning director at the Westin Building Exchange. “Building an open cable allows for new entrants to thrive and new opportunities to come to fruition, whether it be through enhanced cloud services, support of the burgeoning BC media/visual effects industry, or connecting Canada to the Asia Pacific capacity coming into North America through Seattle. The initiative opens Canada up to extensive opportunities globally, and will greatly benefit the markets of Washington, BC, and Asia-Pac.”
AFL Network Services will support the project. “We’re proud to be the partner of choice to provide construction and engineering services, as well as AFL’s world-class fiber-optic cable and accessories, for the Cascadia FiberNet infrastructure project,” said Joe Grech, president of AFL Network Services. “As a company with offices in both Vancouver and Seattle, we know first-hand the value enhanced communications infrastructure will bring to the Pacific Northwest. We’re excited to be part of the partnership that will provide increased capacity across the border, benefit communities across the entire region, and create new jobs in the area.”
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