Zayo adds routes, 400G in fiber network expansion drive

May 10, 2022
The company expects to have 400G available on the majority of its fiber infrastructure by the end of the year.

Zayo says that it is adding to its fiber network footprint, both in terms of routes as well as transmission capacity. The expansion includes additional long-haul dark fiber and submarine cable networks as well as 400-Gbps transmission capabilities. The fiber network services provider says it is spending nearly $250 million to upgrade its network globally, an effort it expects to continue over the next 18 months.

The new underground dark fiber routes run between the following cities:

  • Cleveland-Columbus
  • Dallas-Atlanta
  • Denver-Salt Lake City
  • Las Vegas-Phoenix

At least one customer is happy with the new routes. “Cogent Communications is at the cutting edge of the IP/communications industry, and we are constantly expanding our footprint to new facilities and new markets,” commented Dave Schaeffer, CEO of Cogent Communications. “Zayo’s future-ready, reliable dark fiber network with route diversity is an essential component in our network design to deliver best-in-class, scalable, and reliable IP services that our customers have come to expect from Cogent. We look forward to leveraging Zayo’s dark fiber footprint to grow our network in the future.”

Meanwhile, Zayo reports that its deployment of 400G across the United States and Europe has encompassed nearly half of its 75,000-mile backbone network (see "Zayo plans 400G capabilities on 31 routes in North America and Western Europe"). Zayo’s new 400G routes include:

  • Dallas-Atlanta (creating the company’s third major East-West route)
  • Chicago-New York
  • Denver-Chicago
  • Denver-Salt Lake City (which Zayo says completed the shortest route from San Francisco to New York, via Chicago)
  • Los Angeles-Phoenix-Dallas
  • Salt Lake City-San Francisco Bay Area
  • San Francisco Bay Area-Los Angeles.

The company expects to have 400G available on the majority of its fiber infrastructure by the end of the year. Zayo recently showed off its 400G capabilities in a trial with Equinix that involved an undersea route (see “Zayo, Equinix trial 400G data center interconnect”). It also has conducted trials of 800G (see "Zayo, Infinera send 800G wavelength nearly 1050 km").

Zayo also reports its ZEUS submarine cable, which will run between London and Amsterdam, is nearing completion. The company also says it has improved its internal processes to enable a 20% increase in on-time delivery performance and a 10% reduction in average install intervals.

“Enterprises of all sizes are entering a transformational, yet highly complex time as they face a convergence of factors ranging from digital-first implementation and the future of work to rapid cloudification and edge computing. At Zayo, we recognize that each of these advancements is only as successful as the connectivity empowering it,” said Andrés Irlando, president of Zayo. “We are committed to continuous expansion and advancing our network and capabilities, and we remain focused on exceeding customer expectations now while positioning them for a future they are just now imagining.”

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About the Author

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.

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