Zayo may never be a household consumer broadband player, but in western Ohio their presence will be seen as a wholesale fiber enabler to other broadband providers via the GigE Plus Availability Coalition (GigEPAC).
With a mission to bring broadband services to 28 western Ohio counties, wholesale provider of operation support solutions Com Net developed GigEPAC, a group that includes Zayo, Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) and an initial group of 33 broadband service providers.
As a participating member in GigEPAC, which is being funded through a $30 million broadband stimulus grant Com Net was awarded last July, Zayo is building 366-mile fiber network that will reach a number of underserved towns throughout Western Ohio.
Touting the network as an economic enabler for Western Ohio, Tim Berelsman, CEO, Com Net, said in a statement that "Zayo's 366 miles of fiber optic plant will connect with existing facilities of Com Net and its partners to create the backbone of a new, highly survivable, broadband infrastructure."
On a community level, the GigEPAC initiative will serve a dual role of providing connectivity to schools, state and local governments, public safety entities, libraries and community support organizations in addition to local service providers that can use the network to connect to enterprise customers and backhaul consumer broadband traffic.
For Zayo, the new network will instantly expand its presence in Ohio with 366 miles of new fiber it can use to attract other new enterprise and service provider (both wireless and wireline) customers that are looking for an alternative wholesale source.
For more:
- see the release
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