Bluebird Network completes Missouri Telecom purchase, Illinois fiber network
Bluebird Network says it has completed the purchase of fiber network assets from Missouri Telecom Inc. (MTI) for an undisclosed sum. The data center services and connectivity provider also reveals that it has completed the deployment of a new fiber route in Illinois.
The MTI acquisition, announced at the end of last year, adds 40 route miles in Southwest Missouri that serve communities within Mount Vernon, Monett, Nevada, and Aurora. The company also established three new points of presence (PoPs) in the region. BlueBird Network says it plans to offer dedicated internet, data center services, Ethernet connectivity, and private cloud access across its new footprint in the state.
“These network assets complement Bluebird’s existing fiber footprint while bringing us closer to our long-term goals,” said Michael Morey, President and CEO of Bluebird Network. “This acquisition allows Bluebird to expand and strengthen our network services, specifically for communities in Southwest Missouri and offer those communities a new era of productivity.”
Meanwhile, the company also has completed a 126-fiber-route-mile network build in Illinois. The new route runs through Aurora, Dixon, DeKalb, Sterling and Rock Falls. In addition to providing service access in these towns, the fiber route also provides a diverse route to Chicago.
“This is an important strategic build for Bluebird Network and I’m incredibly excited about it,” Morey commented. “Our vision is to have a fiber presence in 80% of communities across our 11-state footprint with reach to a population greater than 10,000 people. This expansion across Illinois gets us closer to realizing our vision.”
The new footprint comes on the heels of a busy 2021 for Blue Bird Network in terms of footprint expansion (see “Bluebird Network touts footprint expansion”).
“The new fiber route miles and on-net buildings speak for themselves,” said Jamie Scott, Bluebird Network’s director of outside plant. “The large number of access points – locations where we splice new fiber – we added this year, allows our engineering and sales teams to be more flexible and reach more customers throughout our network.”
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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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