UPDATE Since the announcement last year that FiberLight was being acquired by the H.R.L. Morrison & Co.-led investor group, a lot of planning has been underway for FiberLight to expand its network into fast growing southeastern U.S. markets. The company already has extensive fiber infrastructure and was ranked as the 10th largest fiber network operator in the U.S., by fiber route-miles, in a 2021 report by Inside Towers Intelligence. Its current network stats include nearly 18,000 fiber route-miles, predominantly in Texas. FiberLight’s routes connect to more than 130 data centers and over 1,650 towers, and pass 78,000 pre-qualified buildings in 30 major metro markets.
FiberLight is already positioned in key markets that are growing rapidly with escalating broadband and mobile data demand. In its largest Texas market, the company serves major metro areas – Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio – along with dozens of cities throughout the state. FiberLight is also positioned in key data center markets in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C.-Northern Virginia-Richmond corridor along with high-growth metropolitan areas in Atlanta, GA, and Tampa-St. Petersburg in Florida.
FiberLight suggests that its full suite of fiber connectivity and transport services are well positioned to serve a broad range of customers. Its customer base includes domestic and international wireless, fiber and cable network operators, and hyperscale cloud providers along with enterprise, government, and educational clients. FiberLight builds, owns, and operates high-capacity fiber networks primarily for metro and intramarket applications. Today, it is not a long-haul fiber transport provider although that could evolve with continuing network expansion.
The long-range plan is to tie together all its operating markets via a cohesive network. Jay Anderson, FiberLight CTO, in conversation with Inside Towers at the recent Metro Connect USA conference, offered some perspectives of what that network expansion might involve.
“FiberLight is excited to start this new chapter, we have an incredible foundation to build upon and expect even greater success than we have had in the past 20+ years. Our immediate initiatives post acquisition are to focus on activities that improve our network resiliency, operational efficiencies, and provide an even greater experience for the customer journey,” comments Anderson. “With the extensive network coverage in our eastern markets and our vast infrastructure across the state of Texas, we have established a unique footprint that provides key differentiators for businesses requiring data communications. With new access to capital, we will be expanding our existing relationships with the top hyperscalers and largest enterprises to focus network expansion efforts between our markets.”
Anderson adds that the financial assets will enhance FiberLight’s current product sets, provide greater access and support for last mile providers, which inherently will allow FiberLight to scale its business for future growth.
“In the next several years we expect to see an expansion of footprint, network capabilities, and solutions all with a customer-first focus on unique transformations and positive experiences that will set new standards for our industry,” says Anderson.
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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