DF&I Announces New Industry Partner as DataBank Comes On-Net

Important Mid-Atlantic dark fiber network gains another presence in essential Ashburn market, expanding peering and interconnection access

ASHBURN, Va., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dark Fiber and Infrastructure, LLC (DF&I), a leading developer, owner and operator of high-capacity dark fiber and conduit networks, today announced that managed data center services provider DataBank has brought its Ashburn campus on-net to DF&I's Express Connect dark fiber network. The infrastructure provides dedicated access to and between major data centers and peering points in and around the Northern Virginia and Maryland marketplaces on the region's newest and highest quality dark fiber and conduit system.

The DF&I Express Connect network offers the greatest physical route diversity from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, and the most conduit capacity in the region. Over 40,000 fiber strands are available between Maryland and Virginia on DF&I's infrastructure, and more than 70,000 fiber strands are available within Virginia—all 100 percent underground. With its most recent route completed early last year, the network boasts plenty of advantages. As the newest network in the region, it is arguably one of the fastest and highest-quality dark fiber systems on the market.

"We are pleased to have DataBank on board with DF&I's Express Connect network," said John Schmitt, DF&I's founder and chief revenue officer. "We take pride in offering a high capacity, low latency network in one of the most critically important data corridors in the world, and now it can benefit even more businesses thanks to our new partner, DataBank. It's always a great day when we can expand the network to accommodate even more interconnection in such a vital communication hub like Ashburn."

The system now connects DataBank's Ashburn campus, which consists of two facilities with a combined 300,00 square feet of raised floor space and 50 MW of critical IT load across 13 acres. Its location in the heart of Data Center Alley makes it ideal for enterprise, web-scale SaaS, or hyperscale cloud workloads looking for interconnection and expansion.

"Through DF&I's vital network infrastructure we're now able to give our clients even more reason to deploy here", said DataBank vice president Thomas Cannady. "We're excited to join the Express Connect network to strengthen everyone's access to such powerful dark fiber pathways in the region".

DF&I was founded in 2017 to meet increased demand for dark fiber and conduit solutions in Northern Virginia, driven by the growing consumption of data center space and power in Data Center Alley. DF&I plans to further expand its new fiber infrastructure to additional attractive markets for data center development with sponsorship from IPI Partners, a global investment firm that specializes in investing in critical digital infrastructure assets.

About DF&I

Dark Fiber and Infrastructure, LLC is a pure-play wholesale provider of dark fiber and conduit networks to carriers and enterprise customers and is a registered CLEC in multiple markets. The company was founded in 2017 and focuses on facilitating hyperscale access to key peering markets in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.darkfiberinfra.com or email [email protected].

Media Contact for DF&I

JSA (Jaymie Scotto and Associates)
Tel: +1.866.695.3629 x19
[email protected]

About IPI Partners

IPI invests in data centers and other technology and connectivity-related real assets and is co-sponsored by ICONIQ Capital, LLC and an affiliate of Iron Point Partners, LLC. For more information, please visit ipipartners.com.

About DataBank

DataBank enables the world's largest enterprises, technology, and content providers to consistently deploy and manage their infrastructure, applications, and data on the right platform, at the right time, in the right place. Our colocation and edge infrastructure footprint consists of 65+ data centers and 20 interconnection hubs in 27+ markets, on-ramps to an ecosystem of cloud providers, and a modular edge data center platform with virtually unlimited reach. We combine these platforms with contract portability, managed security, compliance enablement, hands-on support, and a guarantee of 100% uptime availability, to give our customers absolute confidence in their IT infrastructure and the power to create a limitless digital future for their business.

To learn more, Follow us on LinkedIn or Subscribe to our YouTube channel. To tour a facility, visit DataBank or call 1(800) 840-7533.

SOURCE Dark Fiber and Infrastructure, LLC