Windstream plugs in Infinera Cloud Xpress platform to power data center interconnection service

April 21, 2016

Windstream has taken another step forward in its data center interconnection journey, leveraging Infinera’s Cloud Xpress to provide pre-provisioned high speed connections between data centers in Chicago.

Windstream sold off its data centers late last year, but the service provider sees data center interconnection services as a large revenue opportunity for its growing long-haul and metro fiber networks.

For this deployment, Windstream is connecting data center locations within the Lakeside Technology Center at 350 East Cermak.

Already an Infinera customer, Cloud Xpress enables Windstream to leverage the optical vendor’s photonic integrated circuit technology to support up to one terabit per second (Tbps) of input and output capacity in just two rack units.

Cloud Xpress delivers a full 500 Gbps super-channel of WDM line-side bandwidth over 150 km without additional multiplexers or amplifiers, and up to 600 km with an amplified line system.

Chris Nein, regional president for Windstream, said in a release that “Cloud Xpress allows us to meet the unique needs of our customers by quickly and incrementally scaling and expanding bandwidth capacity on demand.”

Having expanded service capabilities in key sites like Cermak will make Windstream more valuable with the wholesale vertical segments like cable operators, traditional carriers and content providers that it wants to attract.

Chicago is just one of several markets where Windstream has established its data center interconnect service.

Windstream is also extending its 100G network to NJFX’s carrier-neutral data center in Wall Township, N.J., giving customers a new express route into its 21715 Filigree Court point of presence (POP) in Ashburn, Va. This connection will give both Windstream and NJFX customers’ access to the Ashburn area’s Internet hub, one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world.

The new data center connections in Chicago and Virginia are also supported by a long-haul fiber rout that includes a set of new diverse 500G routes toMiami and from Denver to Chicago and Dallas.

Today, Windstream’s Carrier Solutions group can provide 100G connectivity to over 40 locations and 1G to 10G connectivity options to over 1,200 locations in Windstream’s 33 state transport footprint, including Tier 1 and tertiary markets across the United States.

By Sean Buckley