Thanks for asking!
My research has located the following references that detail lengths
of fiber optic cable installed/owned by Kiewit and Level 3 . The first
three listing document the length of the cable network, as planned, as
completed, and as it has grown since its last major construction
phase.
Level 3 Kiewit Cable Network Planned - 16,000 miles
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"Running through 38 states and three Canadian provinces, this
16,000-mi., design-build national fiber optic network represents one
of the largest telecommunications projects in the world. Using
Internet Protocol (IP) technology, the Level 3 network combines both
local and long-distance networks connecting customers end-to-end.
"Level 3's planned International IP network consists of:
- Local networks in 50 U.S. cities
- A 16,000 mile long distance (inter-city) network across the U.S.
- Local networks in 21 cities in Europe and
- A 3,500 mile Pan-European network
The business plan underlying the construction of the network has been
divided into five phases. Each phase has been designed to be fully
operable on its own. It is also anticipated that different phases will
be constructed simultaneously (i.e. the network is non-sequential).
The phases are defined as follows:
1/ Local network in 20 U.S. cities and 9,000 inter-city miles.
2/ Local network expanded to 25 cities and inter-city route to 16,000
miles. European network to consist of 6 European cities and 2,000
Pan-European network miles.
3/ 8 more cities to be added in Europe and Asia, with an additional
500 Pan-European network miles.
4/ Another 5 cities to be added in the U.S. with the international
inter-city network being increased to 3,500 miles.
5/ Another 20 U.S. cities to be added (making a total of 50) together
with 7 more international cities, making a total of 21."
"The 16,000 mile U.S. inter-city network is planned for completion in
quarter one, 2001, together with 25 of the 50 local networks. Ring one
of the European network should be ready for service in September,
2000. The entire network is expected to be completed within 4-6 years
.123"
Profile of Level 3 Communications
By Ian Duff, JETS, University of Edinburgh
Adobe .PDF Document format (Requires Acrobat Reader) Pages 16 and 17
http://www.insead.fr/cgep/Research/Industrystudies/Telecommunications/Telecom/level3.pdf
Level 3 Kiewit Cable Network Completed - 16,000 miles
-----------------------------------------------------
"Running through 38 states and three Canadian provinces, this
16,000-mi., design-build national fiber optic network represents one
of the largest telecommunications projects in the world. Using
Internet Protocol (IP) technology, the Level 3 network combines both
local and long-distance networks connecting customers end-to-end."
Kiewit Level 3 Intercity Network
http://www.kiewit.com/project/pro_level3.html
2004 - Level 3 Network - 18,900 Miles of Fiber Optic Cable
----------------------------------------------------------
"The Level 3 Network
Level 3 has built an advanced fiber-optic network utilizing Internet
Protocol (IP) based technology. The Level 3 network combines both
local and long distance networks connecting customers end-to-end. The
company has 92 markets in service; 72 in the U.S. and 20 in Europe.
U.S. Intercity Network
The North American intercity network spans approximately 18,900 miles."
Level 3 Communications - About the Network
http://www.level3.com/673.html
Additional Information/Resources
======================================================================
March, 2004 - Pennwell Corporation
----------------------------------
"The national grid was born two years ago, in the wake of the dot-com
bust. Prior to 2000, telecommunications companies laid fiber-optic
cable in anticipation of booming Internet businesses. But with the
high-tech crash, demand for the cable failed to meet expectations.
Today, about three quarters of the cable remains "unlit." National
LambdaRail has a 20-year lease for 15,000 miles of cable owned by
Level 3 Communications Inc. of Broomfield, Colo."
Lightwave
http://lw.pennnet.com/News/Display_News_Story.cfm?Section=WireNews&SubSection=HOME&NewsID=98200
National LambdaRail Architecture
http://www.nationallambdarail.org/architecture.html
November, 2002 - Wired Magazine
-------------------------------
"Level 3 was designed to do one thing really well: send data over the
Internet. The name comes from the seven-layer engineering model of how
networks operate, which starts with the physical layer ? the
connection itself ? and moves up to the application layer, the one
that delivers email or Web pages. Level 3 would operate at the bottom
three layers, the ones that provide the link and route the data. It
would carry traffic for other companies ? Internet service providers
like AOL and EarthLink, media giants like Sony, Web businesses,
financial institutions, government offices, anybody with a ton of bits
to send and millions of bucks to pay for it. Being construction guys,
these Kiewit people knew how to dig. In two and a half years they
trenched 20,000 miles of cable across the US and Western Europe and
laid fiber rings through 36 cities, tying into office buildings from
Seattle to Berlin. Alongside their fiber they laid empty conduits so
they could lift a manhole cover and blow in new fiber anytime,
guaranteeing the bitflow a ride on the latest, most cost-efficient
glass. Earlier fiber networks ? AT&T's, WorldCom's, Sprint's ? were
sealed up because no one imagined they'd need to be upgraded. Qwest
laid two conduits in its trenches, one of them empty. Level 3 laid
10."
Wired Magazine
Surviving the Fiber Optic Fire Sale
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.11/fiber_optic.html
August, 2000 - InternetNews
---------------------------
"The letter of intent signed with Corning (Quote, Chart) gives Level 3
two million kilometers (1.2 million miles) of cable, with an option
for more. Installation is expected to begin when the cable is
available commercially in the first quarter 2001."
Level 3 Upgrades Fiber Network
http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/445111
Fiber Optic Glut - US Market/Analysis
-------------------------------------
"U.S. carriers have installed 83 million miles of fiber, estimates
Patrick Fay, an analyst with KMI. From 2001 to 2006, he estimates, an
additional 186 million miles will be buried."
Fiber Optic Glut
http://www.imakenews.com/shalomequityfund/e_article000035334.cfm
Search strategy
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Google Search Terms:
"level 3" kiewit
"level 3" kiewit "miles of cable"
"level 3" kiewit "miles of cable" "fiber optic"
National LambdaRail
I hope you find this information useful. Should you have any questions
about the links provided, please, feel free to ask for clarification.
Best regards,
---larre |
