PCCA Journal|3
rd
Quarter 2015
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Telecom News
Continued from page 31
materials to communicate this information to citizens. The
signers feel strongly that reliable, understandable information
is critical for citizens and governments alike as they seek to
develop next-generation broadband Internet.
The GAO report found that current FCC requirements on
network performance do not obligate providers to use stan-
dard measurements, while existing FCC reports on network
performance are written in technical language that limits
their usefulness to consumers. The officials signing onto
the letter are members of Next Century Cities, a city-to-city
initiative founded to support communities and their elected
leaders as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, af-
fordable, and reliable Internet.
In support of this effort to provide clarity and transpar-
ency in the provision of broadband services, 35 Next Century
Cities member communities wrote, “Efforts to develop this
core infrastructure are impeded when our citizens are unable
to accurately gauge the quality and speed of their Internet....
As broadband Internet becomes increasingly critical to the
well-being of towns and cities across the country, being able
to reliably measure and compare network performance will
help to ensure that we, as elected leaders, are delivering the
essential infrastructure our communities need.”
Zayo Announces New
Long Haul Dark Fiber Route
Z
ayo Group Holdings, Inc., a
global provider of bandwidth
infrastructure services, an-
nounced plans in June to
extend its long haul dark fiber network
between Atlanta, Ga., and Washington,
D.C. The network expansion will add
more than 800 route miles to Zayo’s
owned long haul network, which spans
more than 19,000 route miles. Zayo will
break ground beginning the third quarter
of this year and expects to complete the
route in the fourth calendar of 2017.
Through this new route, Zayo will be
able to further support high bandwidth
demands for customers in the southeast
extending into the northeast. The long
haul fiber expansion will provide direct
access to carrier hotels and data centers
across six key markets, including Atlanta,
Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., Richmond,
Va., Ashburn, Va., and Washington, D.C.
Zayo will offer its full product suite of
dark fiber, wavelengths, Ethernet, and IP
services across this route.
“This expansion complements our
current fiber infrastructure and meets
the growing requirement for bandwidth
in these fast-growing markets,” said
Matt Erickson, president and COO of
Zayo’s physical infrastructure segment.
“Our long haul dark fiber network will
provide customers with dedicated, se-
cure, and virtually unlimited bandwidth,
which they can ‘light up’ as they grow
and scale.”
Since October 2013, Zayo has expanded
its long haul dark fiber network by 5,000
route miles. Last month, Zayo announced
the construction of a new long haul dark
fiber route from Phoenix, Ariz., to Dallas,
Tex. This route will add more than 1,200
route miles to Zayo’s long haul network
and is expected to be completed in the
fourth quarter of 2016.
FCC Chairman Seeks Comment on Making
Broadband Affordable for Low-Income Households
O
n May 28, FCC Chairman
Tom Wheeler shared with
his fellow commissioners
a set of comprehensive
proposals to restructure and modern-
ize the FCC’s Lifeline program so that
it can efficiently and effectively help
low-income consumers afford access to
essential communications services in
the 21st Century, including broadband.
The proposals seek comment on how to
modernize Lifeline while further com-
batting waste and better targeting the
program to those who need it most.
Congress directed the FCC to ensure
that all Americans, including low-income
consumers, have access to advanced
telecommunications and information
services. Since 1985, Lifeline has helped
make phone service affordable for low-
income Americans. But to continue to
serve its statutory purpose, Lifeline must
evolve to meet today’s most pressing
communications needs, including access