Bluebird Network to expand fiber backbone in Columbia, MO, for 5G support
Bluebird Network says it will add approximately 60 miles of fiber to its fiber backbone in its headquarters city of Columbia, MO. The fiber internet and transport services provider says the network expansion will support the needs of business customers as well as support the delivery of 5G services in the city by providing link options for the area’s new and existing cell towers.
“Our wireless customers—the largest cell service providers in the nation—trusted us for their large-scale 5G wireless deployment,” asserted Michael Morey, president and CEO of Bluebird Network. “They chose us because when Bluebird makes a promise, we deliver. We not only meet expectations, we exceed them. Our customer care and employee work ethic has resulted in Bluebird’s successful growth, and builds like this demonstrate we don’t plan to stop our trajectory any time soon.”
But 5G support isn’t the only impetus for the new fiber build. “There have been a number of requests from healthcare, finance, and education customers in the area, and this build will help us serve those needs,” Morey added. “As we continue to realize a more digital world , Bluebird continues to improve businesses bandwidth and connectivity across a variety of sectors.”
Bluebird also has network expansions and builds being completed in Springfield, Jefferson City, and Joplin, MO, as well as another expansion in Strafford, MO, wrapping up this month. Overall, Bluebird currently operates more than 9,800 fiber route miles that offer broadband and fiber-optic connections. The company’s fiber network has more than 54,000 on-net and near-net buildings and over 151 points of presence (PoPs) sites across the Midwest, including the major cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield (MO and IL), Tulsa, Peoria, Rockford, Bloomington, Normal, and the Quad Cities. Macquarie Infrastructure Partners acquired the company last year (see "Bluebird Network closes sale to Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, expands fiber network").
For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
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.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.