DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Network Connex has been tapped by Critical Infrastructure Partners (CIP) to provide comprehensive professional services, including feasibility studies, fiber engineering, and permitting services, for the much-anticipated Blue Ridge Run Network.

This new, uniquely diverse, low-latency route will span 767 miles, connecting Ashburn, Virginia, Nashville, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama and will bring fiber broadband closer to rural communities in the Southeast region. Construction of the route is planned in two phases, with Phase I slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The initial phase will include design and construction of two fiber rings in Ashburn, Virginia connecting to the ~40-mile hyperscale fiber ring currently under construction to unite Frederick, Maryland data centers with the vital data center alley in Ashburn, Virginia. From there, Phase II of the Blue Ridge Run Network will continue southwest toward Bristol, Virginia. In addition to providing planning and design expertise in the early stages, Network Connex will support the project with construction and crucial program management oversight that orchestrates the many moving parts as the network converges.

“We feel we have identified a gap in the national fiber infrastructure routes that, when filled, will provide reduced latency and redundancy to a much-needed route traversing the East Coast through the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition, it will deliver robust capacity and the opportunity to replace existing aging infrastructure,” said Matthew Chapdelaine, managing partner, Critical Infrastructure Partners.

Network Connex accelerates the performance of fiber and wireless network service providers, data center operators, hyperscale cloud companies, cable MSOs, utilities, government entities, and Fortune 500 enterprises. Having served the telecom industry for more than 20 years, the company offers a full range of turnkey capabilities through seasoned professionals in all ranks to give customers a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving markets. Services include state-of-the-art design and engineering; wireless and fiber construction; fiber placement, testing, and acceptance; construction management; and integration. Network Connex has been a portfolio company of a fund managed by ORIX Capital Partners since June 2018.

Critical Infrastructure Partners (CIP) invests in strategic telecommunications infrastructure projects with an emphasis on urban, middle, and long-haul dark fiber optic routes throughout North America. With over $1 billion in digital infrastructure assets under management, CIP’s portfolio includes data center and fiber assets across the United States. CIP specializes in providing build-to-suit solutions for hyperscalers and telecom providers.