New Addition: Regional Fiber Maps

Continuing in my series of collected links to maps of fiber networks, I have updated an old list of mine from six months ago, and I have placed it with the others under the Resources item in the menu bar under the title USA Regional Fiber.  Networks on this list lie between the longhaul and the metro.  They generally hook up more than one metro area and many tier-4 markets along the way, but are primarily focused on one or perhaps a few states.  Obviously, many larger companies also have regional fiber, but those assets are best found on their longhaul network maps.

These assets have what is one of the lowest public profiles amongst all the pieces that make up today’s modern telecommunications infrastructure.  Some are the communications arms of large energy companies, built along their rights of way and run as a side business to their main one.  Many others are cooperative efforts between small ILECs in the area who need on and off ramps to the major backbone routes.   And others – well, each probably has its own story but I haven’t really figured them all out yet.  While they seem obscure to some, these networks generally do pretty well economically because their routes are generally unique and they face little competition.  However, most tend not to be territorially aggressive, or at least not territorially expansive – prefering to focus on their home turf.   At least, so far as I know.

There is obviously an arbitrary dividing line between this list and the longhaul fiber list, I am actively considering raising the threshold number of states to 10, which would move US Signal and Lightower back to the regional list where they seem to fit better.  Any opinions?

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Categories: Internet Backbones · Metro fiber