USA FIBER, Montgomery County link Maryland fiber-optic networks

Dark fiber services provider USA Fiber says it has reached an agreement with Montgomery County, MD, to connect its fiber-optic network with that of the county’s ultraMontgomery program.

ultraMontgomery is an outgrowth of a county economic development plan. It includes the development of a 570-mile fiber-optic network, called FiberNet, that connects more than 450 buildings.

USA Fiber says it will connect its Ashburn to Baltimore dark fiber network with FiberNet (see "USA Fiber adds dark fiber to Northern Virginia"). Interconnectivity between the two infrastructures will promote new research, workforce development, and technology growth opportunities for educational and government agencies in Montgomery County, USA Fiber asserts.

"We are bringing Ashburn's density and capabilities to Montgomery County, with the lowest latency available and at a distance and scope that enables the applications, services, and communications to perform and create new possibilities for the next decades. Montgomery County businesses and government customers will now be able to directly connect to Ashburn without the need for any equipment to regenerate the optical signals," said Judd Carothers, president of USA Fiber.

Added County Executive Ike Leggett, "We live at a time when Internet connectivity and network infrastructure is just as fundamental to our economic future as are transportation systems. We must have robust fiber networks to connect people with opportunities and move our economy at the speed of our ideas. USA Fiber's investment to add core fiber infrastructure to the market is an important step for our community to serve our major businesses, research corridors and transit-oriented communities."

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