Telecom Ramblings

The interconnection space continues to evolve rapidly as SDN-based technologies make it easier to automate and integrate once laborious network provisioning tasks.  Epsilon has long been a global player in this space, and with its Infiny platform the company has been growing its reach across multiple fronts.  With us today to talk about the opportunities ahead is CEO Michel Robert, who took over the CEO role in February 2020 after a 12-year stint at Claranet. [Read more →]

A couple of contracts and a couple of service expansions worth noting to end the week: [Read more →]

An IX expansion, some UC regulatory support, a vendor M&A, a 5G testing partnership, and some cloud-based routing: [Read more →]

Two from South America, one from Asia, and one from North America: [Read more →]

Fusion Connect announced this morning the divestment of its Canadian subsidiary. The Canadian service provider Distributel has acquired Primus from Fusion Connect in an all cash deal. [Read more →]

One M&A, one new data center partnership, and two bits of subsea cable news to catch up on: [Read more →]

Everywhere we look in the telecom and internet infrastructure space we see preparations for 5G underway.  But in many cases, the technological hurdles aren’t the difficult ones.  In markets like New York City it’s easier to talk about network densification but a whole lot harder to actually do it.  Places like NYC have long been minefields for large carriers, but opportunity zones for smaller companies with the necessary local knowledge and capabilities.  One such operator in NYC is Skywire Networks, which has been busy deploying its network throughout the digital deserts of NYC. With us today to talk about Skywire’s approach to bringing high-speed internet to every corner of NYC is founder and CEO Alan Levy. [Read more →]

Four interesting bits of news from around the sector that might otherwise have slipped past my nets this week: [Read more →]

A few interesting items to catch up on this week worth noting: [Read more →]

Lots of interesting international news to catch up on this week: [Read more →]

Pound for pound, few US fiber operators have been putting as much new network in the ground than Everstream in the last couple years. Each year they announce a new set of targets, and in 2021 the company says it will focus a substantial amount of resources on seven metro fiber markets. [Read more →]

Last week we took the M&A temperature of the US network marketplace, and while you can still vote we do have some preliminary results. And I do largely agree with them this year. [Read more →]

The data center industry continues to evolve rapidly, and that creates opportunities for new providers to come in and shake things up.  Prime Data Centers is one of those young companies looking to make their mark, starting on the West Coast of the U.S. but already looking at international opportunities.  With us today to talk about their approach to the market is co-founder and CEO Nicholas Laag. [Read more →]

The first week of 2021 is now in the books, and and I’m already tired of the general news.  But in telecom and internet infrastructure the world keeps on chugging.  So here’s some catchup on some other interesting news from this week: [Read more →]

We started the week with the question of consolidation targets in the US, and now it’s time for the other side of the coin.  What networks operators are most likely to be consolidators in 2021?  We’ll take it as a given that ‘infrastructure funds’ would top the more general list of likely buyers, of course.  Last year’s top picks didn’t buy much, but #4 FirstLight and #6 Everstream made some strategic purchases.  Who is likely to step up to the plate in 2021? [Read more →]

Bluebird Network made an interesting inorganic move in Iowa this week.  The Missouri-based regional communications infrastructure provider has announced the acquisition of the ColoHub Data Center from Geneseo Communications. [Read more →]

Ok, I hallucinated on the first version of this article, in which I noted that 1547 bought Milwaukee’s Wells Building. That actually happened in September. Today’s purchase was of a similar type though, and with the same financial partner. Today 1547 Critical Systems Realty and Harrison Street teamed up to buy Portland’s Pittock Block building. [Read more →]

Three bits of M&A news, plus a couple of international vendor wins: [Read more →]

Happy New Year!  It’s that time again to take stock of the M&A landscape in the world of network operators.  Which US network operators do you think are most likely to get bought this year?  Last time, before the pandemic turned the world upside down, of the top 10 we got only two partials: GTT (its mostly European infrastructure division) and Uniti Fiber (which sold a piece of its Midwestern business to Macquarie).  But to be fair, not all that many substantial deals were done.  Who is likely to be selling this year? (Not including already pending transactions). [Read more →]

There is no bigger buzzword in the infrastructure space right now than the edge.  Positioning more servers closer to more eyeballs to reduce latency and improve the customer experience has become a pressing concern for the whole industry even in advance of next generation technologies that might really take advantage of it.  Effectively scaling distributed infrastructure is a new challenge, and one of the companies taking on that challenge is EdgeMicro.  With us today to talk about EdgeMicro’s performance is the company’s VP of Revenue & Strategy, Jason Bourg. [Read more →]

After the year 2020 has been, it’s almost scary to to try to make predictions for 2021. But in the world of telecom and internet infrastructure, things haven’t been as crazy as they could have been, and traditions must be upheld. So what’s coming down the pike for those who have kept the world connected despite it all this year?  Let’s take a look at the crystal ball once again:

[Read more →]

There was a bit of M&A over in Europe to close out 2020. euNetworks has announced the purchase of The Loop Manchester Limited. The deal expands euNetworks’ metro reach within one of its 17 markets in western Europe, adding both unique existing capacity and room for expansion along the company’s Super-Highway route from Dublin to London and Lowestoft. [Read more →]

Every year I put it on the line and make predictions for the new year ahead. But before I do that, I try to do a sanity check and look back to the predictions I made for the year that is ending.  I can barely remember what I might have been thinking 2020 would be like, but it can’t be good. I’m afraid to look, but on the other hand expectations are a bit low. [Read more →]