Zayo Bandwidth Awarded $25.1M Federal Stimulus Award to Expand Indiana Broadband Network

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Zayo Bandwidth, a regional provider of fiber-based bandwidth infrastructure solutions for carrier, enterprise and government customers, announced today, that it has been awarded $25.1M from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to connect 21 Ivy Tech Community College campuses to the I-Light network, Indiana's high-performance, optical-fiber telecommunications network for research and education.  The award also will allow Zayo Bandwidth to expand broadband connectivity to certain unserved and underserved areas across the State of Indiana.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100219/NY57631LOGO)

Zayo Bandwidth will add 620 miles of fiber to its existing 2,750 mile network across the state. The new network will pass through 80 communities in unserved and underserved regions that include 480,300 households, 49,070 businesses, 3,270 health centers, 420 public safety centers, 1,070 education centers and 2380 government centers.

The total project cost will be $35.8M which includes $4.4M of Zayo in-kind contribution and $6.3M of Zayo cash match.  The project announced today is part of a $7.2 billion program being implemented under the Recovery Act to expand broadband access and adoption across the country.  

"Expanding the broadband network in Indiana will not only support the educational system but will also provide access to new markets for businesses and individuals that will ultimately translate into sustainable economic development in these rural communities," stated Christopher Morley, CFO, Zayo Bandwidth.  "We are thrilled that we could facilitate this expansion and look forward to seeing the broadband network build come to fruition."

About Zayo Bandwidth

Zayo Bandwidth, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zayo Group, owns and operates fiber optic networks totaling over 20,000 fiber route miles.  Zayo Bandwidth (www.zayo.com/bandwidth) offers services in 141 markets spanning 23 states.  Zayo Bandwidth's mission is to provide responsive bandwidth infrastructure solutions and a strong and growing network.

About Zayo Group

Based in Louisville, Colo., Zayo Group (www.zayo.com) Zayo Group is a provider of Telecom and Internet Infrastructure services including Bandwidth Infrastructure and Network Neutral Colocation.  We provide our Bandwidth Infrastructure services over our regional, metro fiber and fiber to the tower networks that span 141 markets and 23 states.

SOURCE Zayo Bandwidth