Multi-tenant colocation and wholesale data center provider, Digital Fortress, has launched a new redundant fiber network that will serve Digital Fortress’ data center in Richmond, Virginia, as well as the surrounding campus and tenants along Meadowville Technology Parkway.
The new redundant fiber network connects Digital Fortress’ 100-acre Richmond property with private and direct connectivity to Ashburn and Virginia Beach, providing diversified, high-capacity fiber and 6-way duct systems between its data center and these critical markets.
Clients of Digital Fortress’ Richmond-based data center would get unprecedented access to top Tier 1 carriers whose networks arrive at the Virginia Beach Cable Landing Stations, as well as those that require diversity between Richmond and Ashburn, thanks to the new fiber network. The network provides many access points and highly secured chambers with low latency and a diversified east-west duct. The network starts with 288 strands of high-capacity optical fiber, allowing for near-unlimited speeds and performance on these critical routes.
“We are extremely proud of this redundant fiber network launch. Not only does it bring the best network to our customers at Digital Fortress, it also supports the entire region, enabling further economic development,” said Juan Saca, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Digital Fortress. “Today marks the day when this region has more choice, better connectivity, and most of all shows how investment can really change a region for the better. Our Richmond facility was already a world-class facility, and today we bring it to the top tier of what is best in class.”
Optical Networks
As the new fiber system passes many different parts of the region, it would offer up new opportunities in the surrounding area and increase the region’s attractiveness to those searching for new technology-based business opportunities. The local Chesterfield council backed the new construction wholeheartedly, seeing the economic benefits and appeal of the Digital Fortress investment, as well as how it may attract new, high-profile businesses to the region.
“This new fiber network was a major investment and vote of confidence by Digital Fortress in this key strategic region and we were delighted to support the network rollout,” said Garrett Hart, Economic Development Director of Chesterfield. “Having high capacity, all optical networks, linked to key telecom providers is vital to drive the attractiveness of the park and supports new investment, jobs and being all optical is environmentally positive.”
Since 1994, Digital Fortress has grown organically and inorganically, and today operates nine SSAE SOC 1 and II, PCI, and HIPAA-compliant facilities in Washington, Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey, and Oregon. In 2021, the firm purchased a wholesale data center in Richmond, Virginia, which provides N+1 simultaneously maintained configurations with up to 25MW of growth capacity. All Digital Fortress data centers are carrier-neutral facilities.
“As Digital Fortress’ construction partner, we are delighted to support this network build. It was a challenging build, but we were fully supported by all the team and the council to complete what can only be described as a ‘gold standard’ of network build,” said Gary Tarpley of Metro Fiber Networks. “With two banks of six east-west ducts and the ability to support thousands of fiber strands, this network not only offers the best in performance but also the best level of security, protection and global standards.”
