Metro Bytes 10/31: NEF, Fatbeam, Syringa, Comcast, 360Networks

Here’s a quick look at some interesting metro and regional items from last week that were a bit further off the beaten track.

There’s a fiber and conduit system for sale in St.Louis, Missouri according to NEF. The 17.2 mile multi-duct system is owned by American Fiber Comm, a company I haven’t run into before but whose maps I will add to my lists.  The asset hooks up major PoPs and carrier hotels in the city, and crosses the Mississippi into Illinois as well. Seems like the same kind of asset that Zayo bought a couple years ago in Denver.

Up in Idaho, competitive provider Fatbeam has signed long term agreements with both the Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls school districts for fiber access and 2Gbps connectivity. That’s big bandwidth for any school district, let alone in lightly-connected Idaho. I haven’t run into Fatbeam before, but will keep an eye on them.

Syringa Networks is expanding further in Utah, where it has been adding assets over the past year or two. They have contracted with TE Connectivity for a 10,000 square foot data center in West Valley City that will serve as both central office and colocation space for their Utah operations. Syringa’s main turf has traditionally been in Idaho, but with its recent build southward has been offering dark fiber IRUs down into Provo.

Comcast took its metro Ethernet business to Illinois’ second largest high school district. Township High School District 214 will use the bandwidth boost for the usual data, voice, and video for a student base of 12,000 across eight communities, but also connect to IlliniCloud for data storage and backup as part of a move toward a fully cloud-based environment. Hmmm, cloud-based educational services – sounds like a trend we’ll hear more about.

And in Texas, 360Networks has expanded its wholesale VoIP coverage into Houston. The additional 48 rate centers add 4.5M in population to their IP origination footprint. 360Networks has been putting dollars into Texas all year, both for VoIP and fiber. After the merger with Zayo, the company’s VoIP business will be merged with Zayo’s Onvoy unit – which will then look a whole lot less regional.

If you haven't already, please take our Reader Survey! Just 3 questions to help us better understand who is reading Telecom Ramblings so we can serve you better!

Categories: Metro fiber