Dark fiber network between Omaha and Dallas in Zayo's plans

Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ZAYO) has announced its intention to build a dark fiber route between Omaha, NE, and Dallas, TX. The 1,000-mile fiber-optic network will run through Omaha, Kansas City, Bentonville, AR, Tulsa, OK, and Dallas, along a rural route through Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The company says it expects to complete construction of the new route in 2017. The new plant will include 17 neutral colocation sites to provide space and power for customers. The new network will be underground, contain multiple conduits, and offer diversity from other existing routes, Zayo says.

In addition to connecting the two endpoints, the fiber-optic cable network will create a new path connecting Kansas City, Denver, and Dallas, thanks to connections with Zayo’s existing infrastructure. The resulting dark fiber infrastructure will reduce the latency potential customers currently experience among these endpoints, Zayo asserts.

The company says it also is pondering the use of existing infrastructure to further extend the route from Dallas to Houston.

"This expansion is the result of strong demand from customers for long-haul dark fiber which provides the most control and favorable economics in an environment where bandwidth needs are quickly increasing," said Pam Moore, vice president of long-haul dark fiber at Zayo. "Zayo is focused on long-haul network infrastructure that supports growth of the Internet economy."

Announcement of the new route comes as Zayo has recently completed or acquired routes between San Francisco and Sacramento; San Diego and Yuma, AZ; and Denver and Chicago. Once it finishes construction of the new route, Zayo says it will have long-haul dark fiber available on more than 16,000 route miles in the United States and Europe.

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