Zayo adds routes, 400G in fiber network expansion drive

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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