West Virginia officials are hailing a big fiber project slated to break ground soon. Zayo Group Fiber Solutions division President/CTO Jack Waters said the approximately 200-mile fiber network will connect data centers from Columbus, OH to Ashburn, VA.
The Zayo Group is a communications infrastructure company based in Boulder, CO. “This is our first investment in West Virginia and it’s a significant one,” Waters told Government Technology.
The network will have many access points for local broadband companies to tie into, to provide service to rural customers, according to Waters. The exact route is yet to be determined, however the company will install extra conduit for expansion projects and use by other partners, Waters said.
He credited a partnership created with West Virginia and access to state rights-of-ways to enable the project. Waters expects work to begin early next year, according to the account.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said Zayo plans to hire local crews to conduct the work. He called the project “a highway to connectivity.”
Rural broadband advocate U.S. Senator Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V., was also on hand for the recent announcement. She believes broadband expansion is critical to diversifying the economy in the state and the Zayo project will attract private business investment to West Virginia. Comments? Email us.
November 9, 2018
