Network Roundup 1/5: Lightower, Integra, BT, and AT&T

The network business swiftly returned to work this week, so here is a quick look at several interesting items already out there this week:

Northeastern regional and metro fiber specialist Lightower Fiber Networks (news) is supplying key fiber infrastructure to the MassBroadband 123 project. The Massachussetts Broadband Institute has selected them as part of their stimulus-funded 1,300 mile buildout to 120 communities in the western and north central parts of the state. Lightower will be providing fiber on two diverse routes into a key interconnection point in Boston. MassBroadband 123 is expected to be complete in mid 2013.

Out west, Integra Telecom (news, filings) has partnered with Switch Communications out in their Las Vegas SuperNAP, one of the premier facilities there. Integra is expanding its Carrier Ethernet offering into the facility as part of its overall expanded focus on its fiber and data business under its newly minted CEO Kevin O’Hara. The Las Vegas fiber and data market has been evolving rapidly over the past few years.

British Telecom (NYSE:BT, news, filings) is expanding its Ethernet presence in the US and Canada. They kicked off the new year by adding BT Ethernet Connect nodes in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Newark, and Toronto. We don’t hear a lot these days from the European incumbents about investment in the US, but one can’t effectively the IP VPN and Ethernet VPN needs of multinational corporations these days without hooking up those key cities.

And finally, down in the bayou AT&T (NYSE:T, news, filings) found out who has been stealing all those copper spools. It turned out to be a former employee, though four years distant, who apparently broke into a New Orleans company facility 17 times in recent months, stealing equipment and of course lots of that ‘recyclable’ metal. Breaking in 17 times to the same location? You gotta wonder about the criminal mastermind that came up with that plan to avoid detection.

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Categories: Ethernet · ILECs, PTTs · Metro fiber