DukeNet Communications advances its Ethernet, fiber footprint

DukeNet Communications, a joint venture of Duke Energy and Alinda Capital, on Wednesday said it is expanding the fiber-based Ethernet footprint in the Southeast region it serves.

As part of this upgrade, the service provider is deploying Cisco's (Nasdaq: CSCO) ASR 9000 router in four major metro areas in the Carolinas region: Charlotte, Winston Salem/Greensboro, and Raleigh/Durham in North Carolina, and Greenville, S.C. At a later date, DukeNet plans to expand into Atlanta, Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn., Ashville, N.C., and Columbia and Charleston, S.C.

From an overall network infrastructure perspective, DukeNet said the upgrade will simultaneously "blend the edge, aggregation and access points" in its network while "accelerating IPv6 service implementation across the Southeast."

While DukeNet has been traditionally known as a wholesale fiber-based transport provider to other service providers, including wireless operators such as Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ), this latest upgrade will enable it to provide other services, including IPv6 and IP/MPLS.

Another key service focus of this upgrade will be in IP/MPLS services directly to area enterprise customers that are looking for alternative suppliers.

David Herran, DukeNet's senior director of network architecture, said in a release that this deployment is focused on "creating a foundation for delivering more advanced services," which "is consistent with our strategy of building the best network first, then layering on services, rather than the other way around."

Growing enterprise services is one of DukeNet's targets for 2012 and beyond.

Brad Davis, CEO of DukeNet, said in a Charlotte Business Journal article in May that he thinks the enterprise segment, which it just began targeting this year, is the segment that has "the most growth potential."

Although it does not release its financial performance, Davis added that it expects enterprise revenues to make up 15 to 18 percent of total revenues in 2013 and grow to one-third in coming years.

For more:
- see the release
- here's the Charlotte Business Journal article (pdf)

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