Globally, the top 200 dark fiber and lit fiber providers deliver connectivity services to businesses through fiber optic networks that span millions of miles around the world. These business-to-business (B2B) fiber companies connect various types of facilities, from office buildings to cell towers, and data centers to stadiums. Commonly referred to as dark fiber and lit fiber providers, these companies are also known as carriers of carriers. They offer solutions under various terminologies, including unlit fiber, wholesale fiber, bulk fiber, carrier fiber, enterprise fiber, and business fiber.
In total, the 10 most prominent dark fiber and lit fiber providers in the world, including Lumen, Zayo, Colt Technology Services, Cogent, EXA Infrastructure, Arelion, Telecom Italia (TIM) / Sparkle, NTT, AT&T, and Verizon, collectively operate over 4 million route miles of fiber optic network.
Dgtl Infra has categorized the largest 200 dark fiber and lit fiber providers in the world into 6 groups based on their geographic operating region and several measurable market share factors, including: fiber network size (route miles and strand miles), number of on-net buildings (including data centers and cell towers), and revenue in U.S. Dollars, among others. Our list encompasses both independent dark fiber and lit fiber providers as well as telecommunications companies that offer these services as part of their broader business.
Subsequently, we delve deeper into the businesses and networks of 30 notable dark fiber and lit fiber providers, particularly focusing on companies operating in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. This analysis includes information about the length of their network in fiber route miles, the geographical areas where they serve their customers, and the type of provider they are (dark, lit, or a combination of both).
Top 200 Dark Fiber and Lit Fiber Providers in the World
The top 200 dark fiber and lit fiber providers in the world are categorized into the following geographic segments: multiple regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.
It is important to note that Dgtl Infra’s list focuses on facilities-based providers of fiber networks, who own and operate their own physical infrastructure, as opposed to relying on leasing or reselling capacity from other network owners to deliver services. Additionally, we exclude companies operating primarily in China and Russia, as well as businesses that mainly own subsea cables, as opposed to terrestrial dark fiber and lit fiber, which our list focuses on.
Multiple Regions
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Locations |
1 | Lumen Technologies | Dark / Lit | United States, Europe, Asia |
2 | Zayo Group | Dark / Lit | United States, Europe |
3 | Colt Technology Services | Dark / Lit | Europe, United States, Asia |
4 | Cogent Communications | Dark / Lit | United States, Europe, LatAm, Asia |
5 | EXA Infrastructure | Dark / Lit | Europe, United States |
6 | Arelion | Dark / Lit | Europe, United States, Asia |
North America
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Countries |
7 | AT&T | Lit | United States |
8 | Verizon | Lit | United States |
9 | Charter Communications (Spectrum Enterprise) | Lit | United States |
10 | Frontier Communications | Lit | United States |
11 | Windstream Holdings | Dark / Lit | United States |
12 | Comcast Business | Lit | United States |
13 | Uniti Group | Dark / Lit | United States |
14 | Crown Castle | Dark / Lit | United States |
15 | Rogers Communications (incl. Shaw) | Lit | Canada |
16 | Consolidated Communications | Dark / Lit | United States |
17 | Astound Broadband | Dark / Lit | United States |
18 | Fusion Connect | Lit | United States |
19 | Cox Business (incl. Segra) | Lit | United States |
20 | Everstream Solutions | Dark / Lit | United States |
21 | FirstLight | Dark / Lit | United States |
22 | altafiber (Cincinnati Bell) | Lit | United States |
23 | Lightpath (Altice USA) | Lit | United States |
24 | Ziply Fiber | Dark / Lit | United States |
25 | Alaska Communications | Dark / Lit | United States |
26 | Mediacom Business | Lit | United States |
27 | FiberLight | Dark / Lit | United States |
28 | Great Plains Communications | Lit | United States |
29 | Sparklight Business (Cable One) | Dark / Lit | United States |
30 | BCE (Bell Canada) | Lit | Canada |
31 | Arvig | Dark / Lit | United States |
32 | TDS Telecom | Lit | United States |
33 | Conterra Networks | Dark / Lit | United States |
34 | Midco (Midcontinent Communications) | Lit | United States |
35 | Unite Private Networks | Dark / Lit | United States |
36 | Bluebird Network | Dark / Lit | United States |
37 | C Spire Business | Lit | United States |
38 | US Signal | Dark / Lit | United States |
39 | Telus | Lit | Canada |
40 | Shentel (Shenandoah Telecommunications) | Dark / Lit | United States |
41 | LS Networks | Dark / Lit | United States |
42 | WideOpenWest (WOW!) Business | Dark / Lit | United States |
43 | LOGIX Fiber Networks | Dark / Lit | United States |
44 | Cogeco (incl. Breezeline) | Lit | Canada, United States |
45 | Clearwave Fiber | Lit | United States |
46 | Horizon Telcom | Lit | United States |
47 | PS Lightwave (Pure Speed Lightwave) | Dark / Lit | United States |
48 | Vidéotron (incl. Fibrenoire) | Dark / Lit | Canada |
49 | Armstrong Business Solutions | Dark / Lit | United States |
50 | Ritter Communications | Dark / Lit | United States |
51 | DQE Communications | Dark / Lit | United States |
52 | Beanfield Metroconnect | Lit | Canada |
53 | Extenet | Dark | United States |
54 | Summit Broadband | Dark / Lit | United States |
55 | NoaNet (Northwest Open Access Network) | Lit | United States |
56 | Hunter Communications | Lit | United States |
57 | Metronet Business | Lit | United States |
58 | Douglas Fast Net (DFN) | Lit | United States |
59 | ACD.NET (Advanced Comms & Data) | Lit | United States |
60 | Boldyn Networks (BAI, Mobilitie, ZenFi) | Dark / Lit | United States |
61 | FirstDigital Telecom | Dark / Lit | United States |
62 | Mid-Atlantic Broadband (MBC) | Dark / Lit | United States |
63 | Race Communications | Lit | United States |
64 | Syringa Networks | Lit | United States |
65 | Silver Star Communications | Dark / Lit | United States |
66 | Fatbeam | Dark / Lit | United States |
67 | WANRack | Dark / Lit | United States |
68 | SummitIG | Dark | United States |
69 | United Fiber & Data | Dark / Lit | United States |
70 | CentraCom | Lit | United States |
71 | ResurgenceIG | Dark | United States |
72 | Bandwidth IG | Dark | United States |
73 | Dark Fiber and Infrastructure (DF&I) | Dark | United States |
74 | Pilot Fiber | Dark / Lit | United States |
75 | 3Red8 | Dark | United States |
76 | Accelecom | Dark / Lit | United States |
Europe
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Countries |
77 | Deutsche Telekom | Lit | Germany, Poland, Czech Republic |
78 | Vodafone | Lit | United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy |
79 | Orange | Lit | France, Spain, Belgium, Poland |
80 | Telefónica | Lit | Spain, Germany, United Kingdom |
81 | BT Group (British Telecom) | Lit | United Kingdom |
82 | Telecom Italia (TIM) / Sparkle | Dark / Lit | Italy |
83 | KPN | Dark / Lit | Netherlands |
84 | Liberty Global | Lit | United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium |
85 | GlobalConnect | Dark / Lit | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany |
86 | Telenor Group | Lit | Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland |
87 | Telekom Austria Group (A1) | Lit | Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia |
88 | Eurofiber | Dark | Netherlands, Belgium, France |
89 | Fastweb | Dark / Lit | Italy |
90 | 1&1 Versatel | Lit | Germany |
91 | Reintel (Redeia) | Dark | Spain |
92 | Türk Telekom | Lit | Turkey |
93 | euNetworks | Dark | Europe |
94 | RETN | Lit | Europe, Asia |
95 | lyntia Networks | Dark / Lit | Spain |
96 | Retelit and Irideos | Dark / Lit | Italy |
97 | Swisscom | Lit | Switzerland |
98 | Deutsche Glasfaser | Lit | Germany |
99 | Relined | Dark | Germany, Netherlands, Denmark |
100 | Neos Networks | Dark / Lit | United Kingdom |
101 | Aire Networks | Dark | Spain |
102 | GasLINE | Dark | Germany |
103 | MyNet | Lit | Italy |
104 | Sipartech | Dark/Lit | France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, UK |
105 | DB broadband | Dark | Germany |
106 | Proximus | Lit | Belgium |
107 | Elisa Corporation | Lit | Finland, Estonia |
108 | Altice Europe | Lit | France, Portugal |
109 | Bouygues | Lit | France |
110 | Iliad SA | Lit | France, Italy |
111 | TDC NET | Lit | Denmark |
112 | Exponential-e | Lit | United Kingdom |
113 | NGN Fiber Network | Dark / Lit | Germany |
114 | NetCom BW (EnBW Group) | Lit | Germany |
115 | Iberfibra | Dark | Spain |
116 | Adif AV (Telecommunications) | Dark | Spain |
117 | Celeste | Dark / Lit | France |
118 | MÁSMÓVIL | Dark / Lit | Spain |
119 | KCOM | Dark / Lit | United Kingdom |
120 | Axent (Axión) | Dark | Spain |
121 | Alliander Telecom | Dark | Netherlands |
122 | CityFibre | Dark / Lit | United Kingdom |
123 | TReNT Glasvezel | Dark | Netherlands |
124 | ewz | Dark / Lit | Switzerland |
125 | Tampnet | Dark / Lit | North Sea, Gulf of Mexico |
Asia Pacific
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Countries |
126 | NTT Communications | Lit | Japan |
127 | HGC Global Communications | Lit | Hong Kong |
128 | BSNL / BBNL | Lit | India |
129 | KDDI Corporation | Lit | Japan |
130 | KT Corporation (Korea Telecom) | Lit | South Korea |
131 | Chunghwa Telecom | Lit | Taiwan |
132 | Reliance Jio / Reliance Infratel | Lit | India |
133 | Telstra | Dark / Lit | Australia |
134 | Telesonic Networks (Bharti Airtel) | Lit | India |
135 | Vodafone Idea | Dark / Lit | India |
136 | PLDT | Lit | Philippines |
137 | Singtel | Lit | Singapore |
138 | Tata Teleservices | Lit | India |
139 | POWERGRID | Dark / Lit | India |
140 | RailTel | Dark / Lit | India |
141 | Tata Communications | Lit | India |
142 | Optus | Dark / Lit | Australia |
143 | TPG Telecom | Dark / Lit | Australia |
144 | CAT Telecom | Lit | Thailand |
145 | StarHub | Lit | Singapore |
146 | SPTel (Singapore Power) | Dark / Lit | Singapore |
147 | Sify Technologies | Dark / Lit | India |
148 | Vocus Group | Dark / Lit | Australia, New Zealand |
149 | PCCW Global | Lit | Hong Kong |
150 | HKBN (Hong Kong Broadband) | Lit | Hong Kong |
151 | Advanced Info Service (AIS) | Lit | Thailand |
152 | Indosat Ooredoo | Lit | Indonesia |
153 | LG Uplus | Lit | South Korea |
154 | Globe Telecom | Lit | Philippines |
155 | TM One (Telekom Malaysia) | Lit | Malaysia |
156 | XL Axiata | Lit | Indonesia |
157 | MyRepublic | Lit | Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand |
158 | One New Zealand (Vodafone) | Lit | New Zealand |
159 | SK Telecom | Lit | South Korea |
160 | Aircel | Lit | India |
161 | BB Backbone (SoftBank) | Dark | Japan |
162 | QCN Fibre | Dark / Lit | Australia |
163 | SEJONG Telecom | Lit | South Korea |
164 | TOKAI Communications | Lit | Japan |
165 | ARTERIA Networks | Dark / Lit | Japan |
166 | HyperOne | Dark | Australia |
167 | Aussie Broadband | Dark | Australia |
168 | Xenith IG | Dark | Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia |
Latin America
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Countries |
169 | América Móvil (Claro, Telmex, Embratel) | Lit | 17 Countries |
170 | Telefónica LatAm (Movistar, Vivo) | Lit | Brazil, Argentina, Colombia |
171 | Telecom Argentina | Lit | Argentina |
172 | TIM Brasil | Lit | Brazil |
173 | Ufinet International | Dark / Lit | Latin America, United States |
174 | Cirion Technologies | Dark / Lit | Latin America |
175 | Millicom (Tigo) | Lit | Latin America |
176 | Liberty Latin America | Lit | Chile, Panama, Caribbean |
177 | Axtel / Alestra | Lit | Mexico |
178 | GTD Group | Lit | Chile |
179 | Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) | Dark | Mexico |
180 | Entel | Lit | Chile |
181 | ON*NET Fibra (KKR, Telefónica) | Dark / Lit | Chile |
182 | Wirelink | Dark | Brazil |
183 | ETB (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones) | Lit | Colombia |
184 | Totalplay | Lit | Mexico |
185 | ANTEL | Lit | Uruguay |
186 | Flo Networks | Lit | Mexico, United States |
187 | Algar Telecom | Lit | Brazil |
188 | Ascenty | Dark | Brazil, Mexico, Chile |
189 | Neutral Networks | Dark / Lit | Mexico |
Middle East and Africa
# | Fiber Provider | Type | Key Countries |
190 | MTN (incl. MTN GlobalConnect) | Dark / Lit | Pan-Africa |
191 | Liquid Intelligent Technologies | Dark / Lit | Pan-Africa |
192 | Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) | Dark | South Africa |
193 | Saudi Telecom Company (stc) | Lit | Saudi Arabia |
194 | Maroc Telecom | Lit | Morocco |
195 | Etisalat | Lit | UAE, Saudi Arabia |
196 | Airtel Africa | Lit | Africa |
197 | Telkom SA | Lit | South Africa |
198 | Vodacom and Safaricom (Vodafone) | Lit | South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya |
199 | Zain Group | Lit | Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan |
200 | Ooredoo | Lit | Qatar, Oman, Kuwait |
1. Lumen Technologies
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) operates a global dark and lit fiber network, comprising both owned and leased infrastructure. The company’s network includes 400,000 route miles of fiber optic plant, which consists of 25,000 route miles of subsea fiber optic cable systems. This fiber network connects to 160,000 on-net buildings, positioning Lumen among the largest providers of lit communications services to domestic and global enterprise customers.
Lumen’s terrestrial and subsea fiber optic long-haul network spans across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, connecting to metropolitan fiber networks that the company operates. Additionally, Lumen manages multiple gateway and transmission facilities utilized in operating its network throughout North America and Europe.
2. Zayo Group
Zayo Group operates a dark and lit fiber network in the United States and Europe, spanning 139,000 route miles and over 16 million strand miles. This represents an average strand count of more than 115 strands per route mile.
Across 400 markets worldwide, Zayo’s network provides access to over 44,000 on-net buildings, more than 1,400 on-net data centers, and over 380 cloud on-ramps.
3. Colt Technology Services
Colt Technology Services operates a dark and lit fiber network that spans 32 countries, 212 cities, and 51 major metropolitan area networks in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The company’s fiber network extends 187,000 kilometers (116,196 miles), connecting to over 29,000 buildings, more than 900 data centers, and over 200 cloud points-of-presence (PoPs).
4. Cogent Communications
Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) operates a network backbone, leased on indefeasible right of use (IRU) contracts from 308 different dark fiber suppliers worldwide. The company’s network totals 78,908 route miles, which comprises 61,292 long-haul route miles and 17,616 metro route miles.
Cogent serves 1,264 carrier-neutral data center buildings (1,458 nodes) with its fiber network, and its network connects to 3,155 total on-net buildings, including 1,837 multi-tenant office buildings in major North American cities.
Additionally, Cogent is acquiring T-Mobile’s Wireline Business, which consists of 20,305 owned route miles, of which approximately 19,000 are long-haul route miles and around 1,300 are metro route miles. Furthermore, the unit possesses 16,843 leased route miles. This transaction transforms Cogent into a larger, facilities-based carrier through ownership of its own nationwide network.
5. EXA Infrastructure
EXA Infrastructure operates a dark and lit fiber network that spans 34 countries and over 300 cities in Europe and North America. The company’s fiber network extends 114,000 kilometers (70,836 miles), connecting to over 500 optical points-of-presence (PoPs), 13 Tier 3-equivalent data centers, and more than 270 edge and network colocation sites.
6. Arelion
Arelion operates a dark and lit fiber network in more than 125 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The company’s network spans 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) of its own fiber and over 350 points-of-presence (PoPs). Using DWDM and IP technology, Arelion’s fiber network allows users to connect directly to more than 2,500 wholesale customers.
7. Charter Communications (Spectrum Enterprise)
Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) operates a lit fiber network that spans more than 230,000 route miles from coast to coast in the United States, encompassing over 279,000 fiber-lit buildings. Through its Spectrum Enterprise division, Charter serves businesses nationwide by combining its large serviceable footprint with a portfolio of fiber-lit buildings and a significant wholesale partner network.
In terms of network technology, both Charter’s national backbone and regional/metro network components utilize a redundant IP ring/mesh fiber architecture.
8. Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FYBR) operates a lit fiber network, consisting of over 180,000 route miles of fiber and 6,400 fiber-connected cell towers (serving 7,200 carrier cell sites on those towers) in the United States. The company also owns fiber optic cable, which is used as a transport technology between its central offices, remote facilities, and interconnection points with other telecommunications carriers.
9. Windstream Holdings
Windstream Holdings operates a nationwide dark and lit fiber network covering 170,000 route miles in the United States. Excluding assets associated with or encumbered by Uniti Group’s master lease agreements (MLAs), Windstream operates 84,000 route miles, of which 75% are owned by the company. Through this network, Windstream owns 1,338 points-of-presence (PoPs), with data transfer capacity at each of these PoPs of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps).
10. Comcast Business
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA), through its division Comcast Business, operates a lit fiber footprint spanning 29 regional networks across 39 states in the U.S. The company’s fiber optic network consists of more than 150,000 miles of fiber, serving 18 of the top markets and providing high-speed services to numerous large companies.
11. Uniti Group
Uniti Group (NASDAQ: UNIT) owns and operates a dark and lit fiber network in the United States, spanning 135,000 route miles and 8.0 million strand miles. This represents an average strand count of 59.3 strands per route mile.
Uniti serves approximately 300 metro markets with its owned metro fiber or enterprise services, reaching over 275,000 on-net and near-net buildings.
READ MORE: Dark Fiber – What is it? and How Does it Work?
12. Crown Castle
Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI) owns and operates a dark and lit fiber network in the United States, consisting of 85,000 route miles of fiber primarily supporting its fiber solutions and small cells. The majority of the company’s fiber assets are located in major metropolitan areas, including a presence within every major U.S. market.
In terms of customers, Crown Castle’s dark and lit fiber network serves wireless carriers, wholesale carriers, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and financial services companies.
13. Consolidated Communications
Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) operates a dark and lit fiber network in the United States, spanning 57,865 route miles across numerous rural areas and metro communities. This network includes long-haul, metropolitan, and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks, connecting 14,427 lit or on-net buildings.
Through its dark and lit fiber network, Consolidated offers business products, such as data and internet solutions, as well as wholesale services to wireless and wireline carriers and other service providers. These services include network connections, custom fiber builds, and last-mile connections.
14. Astound Broadband
Astound Broadband owns and operates a dark and lit fiber network in the United States, spanning 31,000 route miles, which is concentrated in clusters across the country. Additionally, the company plans to add up to 1,500 more route miles every year to its fiber network.
Through its Astound Wholesale division, the company delivers solutions including wavelength, Ethernet, E-NNI (Ethernet Network-to-Network Interface), IP transit, dark fiber, cellular backhaul, VXC/VIX (Virtual Cross Connect/Virtual Internet Exchange), and private line.
15. Cox Business
Cox Business owns and operates a lit fiber network in the United States through its national fiber optic backbone, which comprises over 30,000 miles of metro fiber. The company operates a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network over this backbone, enabled by fully redundant core routers deployed in each of its internet peering locations and regional data centers (RDCs). These core routers are interconnected to Cox’s backbone by multiple high-bandwidth connections.
Within Cox’s operations is the commercial enterprise and carrier business of Segra, a U.S. dark fiber and lit fiber provider, which Cox acquired in 2021.
16. Everstream Solutions
Everstream Solutions owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in the United States, spanning more than 27,500 route miles. The company’s network traverses 10 states in the Midwest and Northeast, specifically Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Everstream’s fiber optic network connects to 5,790 on-net buildings, including 63 data centers.
17. FirstLight
FirstLight owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in the United States, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The company’s fiber network spans 25,000 route miles throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Additionally, FirstLight’s network connects nearly 13,000 lit locations with access to a further 125,000 locations.
18. altafiber (Cincinnati Bell)
altafiber, which is the brand that Cincinnati Bell does business under in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, operates a lit fiber network in the United States totaling 20,400 route miles. The company’s fiber network spans more than 14,600 route miles in Greater Cincinnati and 5,800 route miles in Hawaii.
altafiber’s total number of commercial addresses with fiber-based services, known as lit addresses, stands at 36,200 in Greater Cincinnati and 27,300 in Hawaii. Additionally, the company provides cell site backhaul services to 90% of the 1,075 cell sites in the Greater Cincinnati market, all of which are lit with fiber, and 90% of the 1,120 cell sites in Hawaii, nearly all of which are lit with fiber.
19. Lightpath (Altice USA)
Lightpath, majority-owned by Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS), operates a lit fiber network in the United States, spanning 20,000 route miles and providing connectivity to 13,500 service locations and 2,000 wireless towers. The company offers products and services to both large enterprise customers and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), serving 381,200 SMB customers across its footprint.
Lightpath primarily serves the business market in the New York metropolitan area, offering Ethernet, data transport, IP-based virtual private networks, Internet access, telephony services, and VoIP services. The company has recently expanded into the Boston and Miami metropolitan areas. Lightpath’s bandwidth connectivity service delivers speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps).
20. GlobalConnect
GlobalConnect owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Finland. The company’s total fiber footprint spans over 155,000 kilometers (96,313 miles), of which more than 105,000 kilometers (65,244 miles) are wholly-owned. Through this network, GlobalConnect serves over 30,000 business-to-business (B2B) customers.
21. Eurofiber
Eurofiber owns and operates a dark fiber network in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany. The company’s network stretches over 61,700 kilometers (38,339 miles) and connects to over 12,000 locations. Eurofiber’s managed dark fiber connects to 215 data centers, of which 117 data centers have redundant connections.
22. Reintel (Redeia)
Reintel, a subsidiary of Redeia (formerly Red Eléctrica), an electric utility company in Spain, owns and operates a dark fiber network in Spain. The company’s fiber network spans 52,956 kilometers (32,905 miles) and is deployed along Redeia’s electricity transmission network as well as the rail network of Adif AV, Spain’s state-owned railway manager.
Additionally, Reintel offers colocation facilities and telecommunications shelters at 1,344 sites along its dark fiber network. Of this total, 810 are electricity grid sites and 534 are railway sites.
23. euNetworks
euNetworks owns and operates a dark fiber network spanning 45,800 kilometers (28,459 miles) throughout Western Europe. The company manages 17 fiber-based metropolitan networks across Western Europe, totaling 3,200 kilometers (1,988 miles), which are interconnected by its long-haul network of 42,600 kilometers (26,470 miles). Additionally, euNetworks’ fiber network directly connects to 2,539 locations, including over 510 data centers in Europe.
24. RETN
RETN operates a lit fiber network, which is 35% owned, with the remaining on long-term leases, connecting 40 countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. The company’s fiber optic network spans 45,500 kilometers (28,272 miles) and includes deep metro networks in certain cities.
RETN’s network connects to almost 900 on-net data centers and buildings worldwide, providing a comprehensive range of data transmission services. Geographically, many of RETN’s fiber routes and points-of-presence (PoPs) are located in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Russia, and Central Asia.
25. lyntia Networks
lyntia Networks owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in Spain, particularly nationwide metro and long-haul fiber networks spanning 43,600 kilometers (27,092 miles). The company provides services to 4,011 towns and cities across Spain, including major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Bilbao. This network connects to over 60,000 on-net buildings and is built primarily alongside electric power and gas distribution infrastructure of utility companies, including Naturgy, Iberdrola, and Endesa.
26. Retelit and Irideos
Retelit and Irideos own and operate dark and lit fiber networks in Italy, spanning 43,000 kilometers (26,719 miles). These soon-to-be-merged companies offer wholesale access and business-to-business (B2B) connectivity to customers, ranging from large telecommunications companies to small- and medium-sized businesses. Retelit and Irideos’ network traverses along motorways, the Adriatic coast, and through several metropolitan areas of Italy’s largest cities.
27. Relined
Relined operates a dark fiber network spanning 39,325 kilometers (24,435 miles) in Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. In these countries, the company offers complete national coverage and can establish connections to virtually any location. In areas where Relined does not own a fiber network, the company partners with various regional and local dark and lit fiber network providers, including TenneT, ProRail, BT, NGN, and Energienet.
28. Neos Networks
Neos Networks (formerly SSE Enterprise Telecoms) operates dark and lit fiber networks across the United Kingdom, spanning 34,000 kilometers (21,127 miles). The company’s network connects to 676 points-of-presence (PoPs) and over 90 data centers in the UK. Neos Networks’ business connectivity solutions, including dark fiber, Ethernet, optical wavelength, cloud connect, dedicated internet access, and WAN, all offer service with speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps).
READ MORE: Dark Fiber in Europe and its Leading Network Providers
29. Ufinet International
Ufinet International owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in Latin America and the United States. Collectively, across 17 countries and 2,210 towns and cities, Ufinet operates more than 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) of optical fiber, of which over 62,600 kilometers (38,898 miles) is owned fiber. The company’s fiber network connects to over 56,000 on-net buildings and more than 5,000 on-net towers.
Ufinet provides connectivity through backbone and access networks, backhaul and local loop, as well as national and international connections.
30. Cirion Technologies
Cirion Technologies (formerly Lumen’s LATAM business) owns and operates dark and lit fiber networks in Latin America. The company’s network spans 86,000 kilometers (53,438 miles) of terrestrial fiber and subsea cable routes, as well as 19 cable landing stations. Through its dark and lit fiber network, Cirion serves over 6,400 Latin America-based and multinational customers, including enterprises, government agencies, cloud service providers (CSPs), wireline and wireless carriers, and internet service providers (ISPs).
READ MORE: Dark Fiber and Enterprise Fiber Connect The Global Network