Continuing with the 100G rollout it started earlier this year, Windstream has moved onto phase 2. The capacity expansion will cover another 4,100 route miles by the end of the year, leveraging Infinera’s DTN-X.
Net on tap are routes from Chicago to Omaha, Kansas City, and St. Louis, Cleveland to Albany, the I-95 corridor between Boston and Philadelphia, and the road south from Ashburn through Charlotte to Atlanta. That will give them 100G for much of the territory in the eastern US, which is where their fiber is most extensive of course.
One has to see Windstream’s relationship with its fiber network a bit differently in light of the recent REIT spinoff announcement. But not so differently yet, as it hasn’t happened yet and it’s not yet clear what the effects will be beyond the spreadsheet and the tax bill when it does happen.
Yet the possibility that Windstream might use a network REIT as a consolidation platform is still out there, with the possibility of a more fully national infrastructure as a goal. I’ve rambled about Sprint or Earthlink being potential partners there. But today seeing Windstream EVP and CTO Randy Nicklas quoted in the PR I’m thinking of the footprint he worked on over at XO until last year. Hmmm…
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: Fiber Networks · Telecom Equipment
Join Our LinkedIn Group
curiouser and curiouser…….
Randy trying hard to move them away from the Rural LEC mind set. They still focus on low end business as can be seen in how they staff and pay their local sales teams. He has a cultural bias to overcome but it looks like he may be making progress.
And they are adding IPTV in Lincoln!