Breaking News - Networking:

Comcast Extends National Fiber Infrastructure

Comcast Corp announced a long-term agreement with Level 3 Communications Inc to provide inter-city and metro dark fiber as part of Comcast's extension of its fiber footprint. This backbone ensures that Comcast has a technically advanced and fully upgradeable nationwide broadband network -- today and in the future -- over which it can deliver new and enhanced services to its customers.

This backbone is principally based on 20-year dark-fiber IRU's (indefeasible rights of use) from Level 3 and other sources. The agreements currently total over 19,000 route miles, and cover 95 percent of Comcast's national footprint. The initial cost of the network, including fiber capacity and routing and optical equipment, is expected to involve approximately $100 million of capital.

"This agreement with Level 3 will further enhance our ability to deliver new and innovative services such as video-on-demand, high definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed Internet access and advanced voice services," said Comcast Cable executive vice president and chief technology officer David Fellows. "We expect to benefit from the inherent cost efficiencies and high reliability that the Level 3 network delivers."

The backbone will be able to carry multiple wavelengths, each capable of 40 Gigabits per second, for a total potential capacity of almost 3 Terabits per second. It will initially be provisioned with multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths, each capable of carrying almost three thousand video channels. In addition to the fiber, Level 3 will provide a wide range of maintenance services to the backbone, which will be managed out of Comcast's existing east and west National Operations Centers.

"We're extremely pleased that Comcast has chosen Level 3 as an underlying provider of broadband infrastructure services," said Kevin O'Hara, president and chief operating officer for Level 3. "We believe that Level 3's innovative and reliable services, network management tools and customer support will help Comcast continue to meet the strong demand the cable leader is seeing for new services."