Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), based in Monroe, LA, has stepped up its optical transport game with its nationwide 400 Gbps (400G) wavelength network rollout. This comes after a significant dark fiber network expansion in the U.S. At the end of 2022, Lumen reported it upgraded over 24,000 fiber route-miles across its U.S. intercity network. This expansion bolsters network performance and supports the deployment of its next-generation optical platform that is specifically designed to deliver customer wavelength services up to 400G now and higher speeds in the future.
Lumen is building scalable networks in data centers and the public cloud, designed to follow where customer data and applications reside so Enterprises can gain faster connections to the big cloud service providers. The company says that its wavelength services will help modernize customers’ core digital network with required resiliency, scalability, and ultra-low latency to help businesses grow. Wavelengths are private, dedicated fiber connections with optical encryption that protects data as it is transported. Enterprise customers can customize network services to support their digital needs using a Lumen-furnished app called Topology Viewer.
Lumen has deployed its U.S. intercity wavelength network across 70 markets, giving customers diverse routing options in building a resilient core digital network. Today, over 240 data centers are enabled for 400G Lumen wavelength services, and more than 800 terabits (TB) of capacity currently runs across the network. Lumen already is fulfilling customer orders of more than 50 TB of 400G wavelengths.
“The Lumen network is our crown jewel, and our network infrastructure solutions are at the core of what we do,” said Miriana Martinova, SVP, Lumen Enterprise Core Network Solutions. “We see a significant demand from enterprises, government agencies, hyperscalers, and wholesale customers for high-bandwidth interconnections between their data centers and public cloud. Combining our upgraded intercity fiber network with our next generation wavelength network helps these businesses quickly and securely enable a digital journey that can take them well into the future.”
Through 3Q22, Lumen reported $2.1 billion in capital expenditures and guided to $3.1 billion at the mid-point for full-year 2022. The intercity expansion will continue throughout 2023 and beyond, extending this network closer to the metro edge. Lumen is analyzing customer demand to determine where its wavelength network will expand in 2023. To meet the continuing demand for fiber, Lumen is investing in another 6 million fiber miles, expected to be installed by 2026.
Once complete, Lumen’s U.S. intercity investment will reach nearly 12 million fiber miles, creating diverse routes to more than 50 major cities across the country. Lumen continues upgrading its infrastructure using a novel multi-conduit system, allowing for the quick deployment of the latest fiber technology. The U.S. intercity network is part of Lumen’s 400,000 fiber route-mile global network that connects to over 60 countries.
“We are creating a next-gen network, and fiber type matters,” said Andrew Dugan, Lumen CTO. “As demand for optical fiber increases and technology evolves, Lumen’s multi-conduit infrastructure means we can install the latest fiber type quickly and economically. It’s difficult to upgrade legacy intercity networks without multiple conduits. These networks end up being stuck with older fiber technology. Lumen is fixing that issue with our upgraded technology. We can extend signal reach to help reduce equipment costs and increase bandwidth capacity. Using ultra-low-loss fiber on the Lumen network is a major component of what differentiates us from other network providers.”
Lumen is upgrading its intercity infrastructure and network capacity using Corning’s SMF-28® ULL fiber and SMF-28® Ultra fiber, considered by the industry to be the latest optical technology.
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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