Zayo Expands Fiber Network, Reduces Install Time

Zayo Group has launched new dark fiber routes amid efforts to grow its reputation with businesses and partners.

Zayo announced an organic network expansion that includes 400 Gbps long-haul dark fiber upgrades. The connectivity provider also shared statistics on how it has improved its operations.

According to Zayo, 400G comprises approximately half of its network. That will become a majority by the end of 2022, the company said

Zayo’s Andrés Irlando

“Enterprises of all sizes are entering a transformational, yet highly complex time as they face a convergence of factors ranging from digital-first implementation and the future of work to rapid cloudification and edge computing. At Zayo, we recognize that each of these advancements is only as successful as the connectivity empowering it,” Zayo president Andrés Irlando said. “We are committed to continuous expansion and advancing our network and capabilities, and we remain focused on exceeding customer expectations now while positioning them for a future they are just now imagining.”

The company’s new routes run from: Dallas to Atlanta; Chicago to New York; Denver to Chicago; Denver to Salt Lake City; Los Angeles to Phoenix to Dallas; and Salt Lake City to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Zayo also is working on a subsea network which runs between London and Amsterdam. The company last week announced that it and Equinix had completed a 400 Gbps trial, connecting data centers to Zayo’s fiber route.

Operations

The company has also made investments to improve the customer experience. For example, Zayo has brought on more than 200 people in operations. And Zayo is reporting positive results. On-time delivery performance improved by 20% in the past year, according to the company. In addition, the average install time has shrunk by 10%.

Zayo’s Kimberly Storin

These updates fit with the mission Zayo executives recently shared with partners around enhancing its approach to the midsize enterprise. Specifically, executives said they want to give partners more “air cover” for sales.

“We’re now enabling our channel partners to go into a market that we’ve never really enabled them to go win in before,” chief marketing officer Kimberly Storin told Channel Futures. “The customers kept telling us, ‘Make it easy, make it cheaper, make it more more secure and reliable for my needs.’”

Will Townsend, Moor Insights & Strategy’s vice president and principal analyst of networking and security, said Zayo has earned a reputation for network diversity and capacity.

Moor Insights & Strategy’s Will Townsend

“A proof point is its new coast-to-coast route that traverses nearly a straight line across the U.S., delivering 400G performance that supports low-latency-intensive applications such as financial trading,” Townsend said. “Zayo’s recent network build-outs represent an investment in future capacity for its customers.”