Sidera Sells Some 100G Waves

February 5th, 2013 by · 1 Comment

We’ve been hearing a lot about deployments of 100G by network operators around the world lately, but far less about the market for the waves themselves. The deal that Sidera Networks announced this morning with the MSO MetroCast belongs in the latter category though. 

Sidera will be delivering 100G upgrades to MetroCast’s connections between Rochester, NH and Boston, MA and between Ashburn, VA and Leonardtown, MD. They’ll use the bigger pipes to reach key peering points to meet the traffic demands of both their consumer cable/data/voice customers as well as the enterprises they serve via Metro Ethernet.

Most 100G deployments seem to have been more about network operators self-providing bigger pipes, either undersea or on land.  Those that have been for implemented for third parties have tended to be for the research and education side of things more interested in the possibilities than the cost.  Seeing an MSO buying 100G wavelengths straight like this seems like a watershed moment, although many still say the cost of 100G remains above that of 10x10G, keeping it of limited economic value yet.

Sidera’s merger with regional rival Lightower is still pending, aimed for a closing sometime this Spring last I heard.  I suspect that the combined company will remain hungry for further M&A.

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Categories: Fiber Networks · Internet Traffic

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  • Anonymous says:

    I know earnings season is around the corner, in interim a question on MNA. Seems that overlap of Sidera/lightower with Fibertech may make them not the next target for Lighttower. Rather I I thought your coments previously of them heading towrads a national footprint interesting. Is KOH ready to move on from Integra whne he jsut begun, could he emerge as the leader of a merger ? or do you think that Texas and Southeast is next , Fiberlight

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