Windstream Wholesale and Ciena Boost 400G Network Capacity in the Southeast

By: Windstream Holdings via Business Wire

April 15, 2025 at 09:30 AM EDT

Windstream Wholesale, a leader in advanced optical solutions, is proud to announce a significant infrastructure enhancement and network overbuild between Houston, Texas, and Tallahassee, Fla. Utilizing cutting-edge Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) line systems, this collaboration promises to deliver increased capacity, enhanced service capabilities, and improved network efficiency. This also enables Windstream Wholesale to offer 400G services over diverse routes to customers today as well as future 800G services along this unique Gulf route.

Windstream Wholesale is already taking service orders for this network expansion, which is designed to meet the surging demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity. By enabling 400G service, this project not only offers diverse routes between Texas and the Southeast but also enables Windstream Wholesale to support a growing customer base with robust, future-ready connectivity options. As Texas experiences explosive growth in AI technologies, our enhanced infrastructure is strategically equipped to support the increasing bandwidth demands of AI-driven innovations across the region.

“These enhancements allow us to optimize service costs and deliver superior connectivity along this vital route,” said Joe Scattareggia, president of Windstream Wholesale. “Our collaboration with Ciena seamlessly complements our existing FLX/RLS network – including the Beach Route, our Florida-to-Atlanta buildout, and ongoing Texas projects – ensuring that we continue to provide reliable, advanced networking solutions. This not only optimizes today’s network performance but also positions us to provide for growing demand with innovative solutions.”

This project allows Windstream Wholesale to better accommodate diverse customer needs and strengthen service resilience. The integration of in-line Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) monitoring capabilities in Ciena’s Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) allows for quicker resolution of network issues, reducing downtime and improving the Windstream Wholesale commitment to service quality.

“This collaboration with Windstream Wholesale is a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and excellence in high-performance networking,” said Kevin Sheehan, CTO of the Americas, Ciena. “By leveraging next-generation equipment, this infrastructure enhancement boosts network efficiency, scalability and cost effectiveness, allowing Windstream Wholesale to remain at the forefront during these periods of high growth.”

This overbuild represents a strategic investment in Windstream Wholesale’s infrastructure, reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellence in network solutions. The use of Ciena’s RLS provides the ability for Windstream Wholesale to gain the greatest operational efficiencies and cost effectiveness along this route.

This long-term commitment to enhancing our network will mean fewer required regeneration points (regens) along the route. This efficiency will create a better cost structure and therefore competitive rates for our services.

In addition, Ciena’s RLS allows Windstream Wholesale to provision express locations remotely integrating multiple ROADM segments, which reduces provisioning time and minimizes truck rolls. By expanding capacity and enhancing service capabilities, Windstream Wholesale can provide top-tier networking solutions for enterprise and wholesale customers.

To view the complete nationwide Windstream Wholesale network, visit https://www.windstreamwholesale.com/network-map/

About Windstream Wholesale

Windstream Wholesale is an innovative optical technology leader that delivers fast, flexible, and customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers, and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream Wholesale is one of three brands managed by Windstream. The company’s quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services. Windstream also offers fiber-based broadband to residential and small business customers in 18 states as well as managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises and government entities across the U.S. Windstream is a privately held company headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Additional information about Windstream Wholesale is available at windstreamwholesale.com. Follow us on X (Twitter) @Windstream and LinkedIn at @Windstream.

Category: Wholesale