Unlimited Local Access

Metromedia Fiber Network has agreements with ILECs that will allow it to run dark fiber to the Central Office (CO) in several states. Could this bring the broadband dream closer to reality?

by Samuel Rosales
Assistant Editor, atnewyork.com
[September 14, 2000]

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. (NASDAQ:MFNX) has reached separate, multi-state agreements with several of the nation's Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs).

The agreements allow MFN to pull high-fiber-count (432-fibers) cables to a universally accessible distribution point within central offices to lease dark fiber to others and interconnect with ILEC services.

Unmetered = unlimited
The company intends to provide Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), such as local broadband services, an unlimited, unmetered, unshared amount of bandwidth to business and economic centers priced at a fixed cost.

The metromedia sales pitch

The ILECs covered under these agreements include BellSouth, SBC Communications and GTE (now part of Verizon).

"These agreements are significant because they establish MFN as an optical provider that successfully interconnects and distributes dark fiber across ILEC and GTE central offices around the nation," said Nick Tanzi, president and CEO of Metromedia Fiber Network.

Open the gated community
Essentially, the agreement allows local carriers to buy the broadband gas pump instead of buying individual gallons.

Bob Riordan, director of regulation at MFN says, "we are in a situation where fiber is the universal donor for all the technology coming out." And he jokingly adds, "fiber would solve all the ills of the world."

On a more serious note, there is a growing need for increased bandwidth to meet the demand caused by value-added services.

"We've extended the availability of bandwidth to key wire centers, now people have the ability to plan for unlimited capacity," says Riordan.

The bad old days
In the past, MFN would have to pull in individual strands of fiber as needed, which means engineers and technicians would perform the same job multiple times.

Ron Kline of RHK, a telecommunications analysis company, applauds MFN's efforts and says the latest development is a solution that provides a missing link.

Think big
MFN plans to have installed dark fiber in 16 markets throughout Europe, and 51 in North America, by the year 2004.

—End