Lightpath strengthens Phoenix presence with WANRack fiber assets—Boosting market reach

Lightpath has taken a significant step in expanding its fiber network by completing the acquisition of WANRack‘s Phoenix fiber assets and customer base. This strategic move strengthens Lightpath’s presence in Arizona’s growing data center market, adding 133 route miles of fiber infrastructure to its existing network. With this expansion, Lightpath is enhancing high-speed connectivity options for businesses, data centers, and enterprise clients across Goodyear, Buckeye, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix’s core network exchange points.

By integrating WANRack’s fiber assets, Lightpath is accelerating its ability to provide high-performance, low-latency connectivity solutions in the region. This acquisition plays a crucial role in supporting Phoenix’s growing demand for fiber-optic infrastructure, particularly in industries reliant on cloud computing, hyperscale data centers, and enterprise communications.

What Are the Key Benefits of Lightpath’s Network Expansion in Phoenix?

The integration of WANRack’s network enhances Lightpath’s existing fiber footprint, increasing its total route miles in the Phoenix metro area to 363 miles. This expansion not only provides greater connectivity to major data centers but also positions the network near over 30 additional single and multi-tenant data center campuses.

The newly acquired fiber routes link Phoenix’s primary carrier hotel facilities to critical data center hubs, ensuring scalable bandwidth capacity and enhanced redundancy for businesses requiring fast, reliable, and high-capacity network solutions. The ability to provide direct, underground multi-duct conduit systems will be a significant advantage for companies seeking fiber infrastructure solutions with enhanced security and reliability.

Service activation on the 133 miles of existing fiber is already underway, allowing Lightpath to support enterprise customers in Phoenix with immediate connectivity solutions. The company has also announced that additional high-priority network segments will be constructed in Q2 2025, with full network completion expected by the end of 2026.

Why Is Phoenix a Key Market for Lightpath’s Fiber Expansion?

Phoenix has emerged as a major hub for data centers, cloud providers, and enterprise connectivity, driven by increasing digital transformation and cloud adoption across industries. The region is attracting hyperscale data center operators and enterprise clients looking for high-capacity, low-latency network solutions to support their growing business needs.

The acquisition of WANRack’s Phoenix fiber network positions Lightpath as a leading connectivity provider in the region, enabling businesses to access high-speed, scalable network infrastructure tailored for mission-critical applications. With data consumption and cloud-based workloads on the rise, the demand for fiber-optic solutions continues to surge, making Phoenix a strategic growth market for Lightpath.

How Does Lightpath’s Phoenix Expansion Align with Its Broader Growth Strategy?

Lightpath has been aggressively expanding its fiber infrastructure footprint across key markets, with a focus on long-haul fiber routes, high-speed enterprise solutions, and edge computing capabilities. The acquisition of WANRack’s Phoenix fiber network follows Lightpath’s recent acquisition of United Fiber and Data (UFD) assets, which strengthened its position in the New York Metro and Ashburn, Virginia markets.

Lightpath’s UFD acquisition added 323 miles of geographically diverse fiber between New York City and Ashburn, offering one of the lowest-latency connections between the Northeast’s largest financial hub and the world’s leading data center market. Additionally, Lightpath introduced LightCube Edge Data Centers, designed to support AI-driven workloads, edge computing, and high-density fiber connectivity.

With its ongoing investments in fiber infrastructure, Lightpath is positioning itself as a premier connectivity provider for hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprise customers. The Phoenix expansion aligns with the company’s long-term strategy to enhance digital infrastructure across major U.S. markets, ensuring seamless, high-performance network connectivity for businesses.

What’s Next for Lightpath’s Fiber Network Development in Phoenix?

With the integration of WANRack’s assets, Lightpath is focusing on accelerating service deployments and expanding its reach to additional enterprise customers in Phoenix and surrounding cities. The company is also evaluating further network investments and partnerships to support growing demand for high-speed fiber connectivity in the region.

The continued buildout of new fiber routes and data center connectivity solutions is expected to position Lightpath as a key player in Phoenix’s evolving digital landscape. As cloud computing, AI, and enterprise networking needs continue to scale, the company’s expanded fiber footprint will be instrumental in delivering next-generation connectivity solutions to businesses in the area.

With Phoenix emerging as a critical data center hub, Lightpath’s fiber expansion ensures businesses can access the high-performance, low-latency infrastructure required for digital transformation, cloud computing, and AI-driven applications.