CenturyLink Fiber Expansion Plan Aims to Create Largest ‘Low Loss’ Fiber Network in North America

A CenturyLink fiber expansion plan will see the carrier add 4.7 million miles of fiber across the US and Europe, creating what the company calls the “largest ultra-low-loss fiber network in North America.” CenturyLink reports the first phase of this construction was completed in June, comprising 3.5 million miles of fiber, creating an expansive US inter-city network. The global carrier was able to leverage existing multi-conduit infrastructure for this first phase, connecting more than 50 US. cities This CenturyLink fiber expansion plan calls for an additional 1.2 million miles to be built by early 2021. 

The network expansion focuses on a purpose-built long-haul network and dense metro networks. This expansion is illustrative of a “land grab” of sorts among carriers, large and small, who see fiber assets as key to their future. They’re all betting that robust demand for bandwidth and capacity will continue for years and decades to come, and the carriers with the best fiber assets are the ones who stand to capitalize most. The move to 5G, with its dependency on fiber backhaul and fronthaul, supports this trend.