Metro Bytes: UPN, ION, Fibertech, Zayo, Global Capacity

Several interesting news items from the metro space this week that are worth a quick look:

Unite Private Networks is building out more infrastructure in one of the less-wired cities of Colorado. They’re adding a diverse metro ring in Pueblo, extending their network along Highway 50’s frontage road and to the Pueblo Plex, the former military facility being retooled to serve the commercial sector. The anchor customer for the expansion is a major wireless carrier, and construction should be finished bu mid-summer.

In upstate New York, ION Communications has been having some success in the education vertical. The Sherburne Earlville Central School District has had a 1Gbps connection from the regional operator for half of the school year now, and won’t be going back to their slower connection. That’s in Chenango County, which is quite far off the usual fiber paths. ION worked for months with Sherburne Municipal Electric Department to get the poles ready.

Fibertech is also expanding its network to the north of New York City. They’re building fiber into vXchnge’s facility in Westchester, giving them connectivity into three of vXchnge’s locations — they were already connected in Cleveland and Secaucus. vXchnge is busy adding 15 new markets around the country, so there will be plenty more where this one came from.

Meanwhile, Zayo has moved quickly to raise the funds necessary for its $675M purchase of Latisys. Yesterday morning they announced their intention to sell $700M of senior notes due 2013, and by the end of the day had priced them at 6%. The Latisys deal will significantly boost Zayo’s presence in the data center market and possibly take them into uncharted territory beyond the interconnection-focused colo they have done so well with thus far.

And finally, yesterday saw another resurfacing of Bill LaPerch, at least at the board level. The former AboveNet CEO has joined the board of directors at Global Capacity, where he will provide strategic guidance to the growing company. Global Capacity just multiplied its scope with the acquisition of MegaPath’s wholesale business, and his insights into operating those assets efficiently surely won’t hurt. LaPerch also serves on the boards at Windstream, Digital Realty, and Imation, and advises FirstLight Fiber and Cross River Fiber, so I guess he’s been keeping busy.

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Categories: Datacenter · Metro fiber