Fiber Catchup 6-3: Alpheus, Level 3, Etisalat, Lightower, Global Crossing

TGIF.  A few more fiber-network-related items this week to catch up on:

In Texas, regional and metro fiber operator Alpheus Communications expanded its Metrolocity offering, adding Ethernet peering capabilities.  They have 31 customers amongst the competitive wireless and wireline operators in the state, and the new service is available immediately.  Alpheus is one of the only fiber assets that was said to be for sale in 2010 that didn’t actually sell.  Thus far in 2011 they seem happy and active on an organic vector, but who knows.

Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) picked up another key win amongst the carriers of the Middle East.  Etisalat has expanded its relationship with the company to include both IP transit and high speed IP services connecting their network to several cities in Europe and deepening their connectivity overall.  After the Global Crossing deal goes through, Level 3’s ability to serve the region can only improve.

Back in New York, Lightower opened a new office at 505 8th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.  Lightower’s presence in the borough went way up with the purchase of Lexent Metro Connect last fall, and the company continues to put all the pieces in place from its other acquisitions of late.  They’re also busy filling in the few remaining holes in their coverage in the NYC-Boston-Albany triangle, but eventually I think they’ll turn their attention further down the I-95 corridor.

And finally glbc is taking this IPv6 thing rather seriously it seems.  They are not merely participating in IPv6 day, which lots of companies are saying.  They turned up the new protocol already earlier this week and when the day comes they are promising to provide real time IPv6 assistance on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, their customer portal, and via email too.  Won’t help me, though, as I know what I need to do – but I’m just not willing to move the entire site to a host that offers a dual stack.

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Categories: Ethernet · Internet Backbones · Metro fiber