Telecom Ramblings

This week a familiar face is making a move to the wireless sector after a long run. CenturyLink’s CFO Sunit Patel resigned from the company effective this Friday, and will be taking on an EVP role as Merger and Integration Lead for T-Mobile US. [Read more →]

Worth noting from the start of this week: three bits of metro fiber news and one subsea upgrade: [Read more →]

This article was authored by Dylan Bushell-Embling, and was originally posted on telecomasia.net.

The UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development have moved to accelerate efforts to connect the roughly 50% of the world’s population that still do not have access to the internet. [Read more →]

Of the data center markets in Latin America, Brazil certainly does get its share and then some of the global M&A attention. Today Digital Realty announced an agreement to acquire Ascenty from the private equity group Great Hill Partners, turning a rumor from July into reality. [Read more →]

Since its acquisition of Cyan a few years ago, Ciena has continued to build up its software and services division.  The Blue Planet solution has become a key piece of the company’s plans to support network and services automation.  Ciena has been very active in standards development, trials, and live deployments of such solutions across the sector.  With us today to give his perspective on the present and future of SDN, NFV, and automation is Rick Hamilton, SVP of Global Software and Services at Ciena.  [Read more →]

In subsea cable news from this week that I didn’t get to: an expansion, two bits of M&A, and new build milestone. [Read more →]

The next stage of Vonage’s ongoing rise in business communications has been unveiled. The UCaaS and CPaaS provider has announced an agreement to acquire NewVoiceMedia in a move to add further muscle in the enterprise market. [Read more →]

Several interesting items from the international scene: [Read more →]

Two metro fiber deals and two regional data center upgrades worth noting from the start of this week: [Read more →]

A data center REIT can never have too much land in northern Virginia.  Hence, it probably won’t surprise anyone that Digital Realty Trust is said to be about to acquire some more. [Read more →]

The planned HAVFRUE cable system now has a landing station lined up on the eastern coast of the USA. NJFX said this morning that the new transatlantic cable system will come ashore at NJFX’s Tier 3 by the Subsea campus in Wall Township, NJ. [Read more →]

This article was authored by Dylan Bushell-Embling, and was originally posted on telecomasia.net.

Fears that 5G use cases do not justify the extensive investments required to roll out the technology are unfounded, and the technology is going to change the world, according to Telstra CEO Andy Penn. [Read more →]

Two of the New York metro area’s dynamic, younger fiber builders are now one. ZenFi Networks and Cross River Fiber have completed the merger they announced this past Spring, with the combined company to operate as ZenFi Networks. [Read more →]

All the consolidation in the fiber business sometimes eclipses the efforts of newer companies taking on the challenge, but there are young companies out there blazing a new path through well-mapped, but never fully conquered territory.  One such company is Pilot, which was founded in 2014 in New York City and now runs business fiber in the east coast markets of Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Boston as well.  With us today to talk about Pilot’s fresh approach is CEO Joe Fasone.  [Read more →]

Colt Technology Services has been busy on the Iberian peninsula in southern Europe.  The UK-based global network operator is adding some 22 new provinces to its reach within Spain. [Read more →]

Zayo has won some dark fiber business over in Europe. An unnamed ‘international carrier’ is leveraging Zayo’s footprint in Western Europe to improve its global coverage. [Read more →]

Several items that initially slipped through my nets this week that should be noted: [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Tim Mullahy, EVP and Managing Director at Liberty Center One

There’s a new SOC audit standard in town – and you need to know what it is and means if you’re to make an informed decision about your hosting company. [Read more →]

In an interesting bit of M&A this morning, Nokia has sold off a piece of itself with a familiar pedigree. The Finnish giant has entered into an agreement to sell its IP Video business to Toronto-based Volaris Group.
[Read more →]

Tofane Global’s quest to conquer the international carrier voice business is officially underway. This morning they officially closed the purchase of the relevant pieces of Altice Europe N.V., adding further scale in a business that hasn’t gotten much love in a while.  [Read more →]

The FCC said yesterday that it has paused the clock on its review of the Sprint/T-Mobile merger.  The move comes in response to recent submissions from the companies detailing the benefits the two companies say would be created as well as an expected submission about network expansion plans. [Read more →]

Some interconnection, upgrade, and expansion news worth checking out: [Read more →]

We’ve had a bit of fiber consolidation out in the Midwest.  Independents Fiber Network has announced the purchase of assets from Smart Connect Fiber Incorporated in southwestern Ohio. [Read more →]