Windstream Wholesale (WW), an optical technology leader in advanced network solutions, today announced two significant milestones in its network expansion strategy. Firstly, its dark fiber Beach Route is available for immediate customer access to fiber from the Jacksonville, Fla., cable landing station (CLS) to the Myrtle Beach. S.C., CLS to Raleigh, N.C. Secondly, Windstream Wholesale has formed an alliance with Mid-Atlantic Broadband, Tilson Infrastructure, and SummitIG to extend the dark fiber offering north from Raleigh to Richmond and Ashburn, Va.

Windstream Wholesale’s unique Beach Route spans 690 miles along the East Coast, connecting the Jacksonville CLS to the Myrtle Beach CLS, and on to Raleigh. The Beach Route offers lower latency, ideal for cloud services and content delivery providers linking Raleigh and the Research Triangle region of North Carolina to aerospace hubs in Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., and with access to subsea cables at the two major CLS sites along the route.

This new partnership, dubbed the Beach Route Dark Fiber Alliance, extends this path by 315 route miles from Benson, N.C., to Richmond and Ashburn. This strategic alliance also eliminates the complexities of multi-vendor route solutions, providing customers with a seamless networking experience. With Windstream Wholesale managing all aspects of the network transaction, benefits include more fiber, more miles, one contract, and one dedicated account team.

“The Beach Route Dark Fiber Alliance represents a monumental leap forward in connectivity solutions,” said Joe Scattareggia, president of Windstream Wholesale. “By joining forces with Mid-Atlantic Broadband, SummitIG, and Tilson Infrastructure, we’re extending our network reach, adding diversity, and dramatically simplifying the customer experience, continuing to set new standards and shaping the future for connectivity, innovation, and partnerships.”

"We're thrilled to harness the power of our open-access fiber network in Virginia to support the Beach Route Dark Fiber Alliance in partnership with Windstream Wholesale, SummitIG and Tilson Infrastructure," said Tad Deriso, president and CEO of MBC. "By leveraging our unique fiber routes and diverse southern entry into the QTS Richmond Data Center Campus, we'll provide seamless connectivity for dark fiber customers, unlocking the full potential of this critical east coast fiber route."

“Our protected, direct, middle mile network in North Carolina gives customers access to unique routes on I-95 for the first time, from the South Carolina to Virginia borders, as well as the east-west US-70 and US-74 routes that will feed the I-95 artery toward key data centers in Virginia. We are excited to team with Windstream Wholesale, Mid-Atlantic Broadband and SummitIG to deliver seamless routes where and when they matter most,” said Josh Broder, CEO of Tilson Infrastructure.

“Collaboration with Windstream Wholesale, Mid-Atlantic Broadband and Tilson Infrastructure on this network expansion is a testament to our shared dedication to innovation and excellence,” said Sunny Kumar, CEO of SummitIG. “By utilizing our collective expertise, resources, and networks, we are paving the way for seamless connectivity along the east coast. Summit continues to build out its infrastructure with multiple routes and increased density throughout northern and central Virginia. We are excited to leverage our unique routes for these custom solutions.”

By forming the Beach Route Dark Fiber Alliance, Windstream Wholesale is leading the way toward a future where connectivity is unlimited. All companies in this alliance will attend International Telecoms Week (ITW) May 14-17, 2024, at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington DC. Attendees wishing to meet with Windstream Wholesale at the event may contact their account executive or visit the Annapolis Meeting Rooms 1 and 2.

To view the complete nationwide Windstream Wholesale network, visit https://www.windstreamwholesale.com/network-map/

About Windstream

Windstream Wholesale is an innovative optical technology leader that delivers fast, flexible, and customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers, and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream Wholesale is one of three brands managed by Windstream. The company’s quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services. Windstream also offers fiber-based broadband to residential and small business customers in 18 states as well as managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises and government entities across the U.S. Windstream is a privately held company headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Additional information about Windstream Wholesale is available at windstreamwholesale.com. Follow us on X (Twitter) @Windstream and LinkedIn at @Windstream.

About MBC

Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) owns, operates, and maintains a 2,500-mile open-access middle mile fiber optic network in Southern Virginia, delivering wholesale optical transport, dark fiber, and colocation services to carriers, ISPs, data center operators, and other last mile providers. With strategic network positioning and presence in key internet peering exchange points including Ashburn, Culpeper, Richmond, and Virginia Beach, MBC significantly streamlines the time and cost for fiber providers to serve their customers in rural Virginia. For more information, visit www.mbc-va.com.

About Tilson Infrastructure & Plenary Broadband Infrastructure

Plenary Broadband Infrastructure (“PBI”) develops, operates, and commercializes long haul fiber routes for hyperscale data center operators and telecom carrier transport, including significant routes on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission right of way and North Carolina DOT interstate highway system. PBI is backed by Plenary Americas and Tilson Infrastructure.

About Summit Infrastructure Group:

SummitIG is the leading pure play dense dark fiber infrastructure provider. The company designs, constructs and operates custom and purpose-built dark fiber connectivity essential to the digital economy. SummitIG’s unmatched approach to network architecture and fiber density along unique routes across its network platform enables hyperscale cloud providers, carriers, data center operators and enterprises to seamlessly connect mission-critical data center and cloud computing environments. For more information, please visit: www.summitig.com.

Category: Wholesale

Windstream Contact: Brandi Stafford, 501-748-6250 brandi.stafford@windstream.com MBC Contact: Liz Smith 434-570-1312 Liz.smith@mbc-va.com TILSON press or media inquiries: Alda Licis alicis@tilsoninfrastructure.com SummitIG media inquiries: Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) +1.866.695.3629 jsa_summitIG@jsa.net