Lightower Fiber Networks, which provides custom, high-capacity wholesale and retail network services, is constructing multiple new fiber rings throughout downtown Chicago and the surrounding communities of Oak Brook, Elk Grove and Franklin Park. The network expansion will make Lightower services available to hundreds of new commercial buildings and data centers throughout the area, the company said.
Lightower will also be building its network into area interconnection facilities, including those in downtown Chicago, Franklin Park and Oak Brook. The company offers Ethernet, wavelengths, dark fiber, Internet access, video transport and managed private optical networks. Customers also gain access to the entire Lightower Network of over 20,000 route miles and 7,500 service locations throughout the Chicago area, the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic.
“Lightower’s Chicago network expansion demonstrates not only the aggressive investment that Lightower is making in this market, but it also reflects the level of demand that we are seeing from customers in the region,” explained Rob Shanahan, CEO of Lightower. “Chicago is a natural fit for Lightower as we continue our strategy of bringing all-fiber solutions to the places where organizations do business – more buildings and more data centers. As area businesses, schools and governments require more and more bandwidth, Lightower will be there to supply them with industry-leading solutions.”
Lightower plans to start bringing customers online in early 2014. As part of this expansion, Lightower is also investing in expanded sales and support staff for the region.
Over the past five years, Lightower has rapidly expanded via seven acquisitions that complement its organic growth. Earlier this year, Lightower closed a merger with Sidera Networks, which doubled the size of the company and the Lightower network. Lightower has also recently acquired and integrated Veroxity in Boston, Lexent in New York City, Open Access on Long Island, KeySpan Communications in New York, Hudson Valley Datanet in Newburgh, N.Y., and National Grid Wireless in New England.
