Lightpath is building new fiber infrastructure to connect two hyperscale data center campuses under construction in Saline, Michigan, and Port Washington, Wisconsin, extending its network into additional markets attracting large-scale AI infrastructure investment. Each campus is planned to exceed 1 GW of capacity, with Lightpath providing triverse fiber infrastructure and multi-terabit connectivity.
The Saline network build is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, while the Port Washington deployment is expected to follow in the second quarter of 2027. Lightpath is developing both projects with an anchor hyperscale customer. The network architecture combines new construction, existing Lightpath network assets, and strategic partner fiber to provide route diversity and capacity for large-scale data center traffic.
The projects extend Lightpath’s expansion beyond its established metro networks. The company recently announced AI-focused fiber infrastructure deployments in Phoenix, eastern Pennsylvania, and Columbus, along with its first long-haul corridor connecting Columbus and Chicago. Lightpath, jointly owned by Optimum Communications and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, provides dark fiber, wavelength, and Ethernet services across U.S. metro markets.
• Two hyperscale data center campuses are planned to exceed 1 GW of capacity each.
• Locations: Saline, Michigan, and Port Washington, Wisconsin.
• Lightpath will deploy triverse fiber infrastructure designed to provide three physically diverse network paths.
• The infrastructure will support multi-terabit connectivity for hyperscale and AI workloads.
• Saline delivery is scheduled by the end of 2026.
• Port Washington delivery is scheduled for Q2 2027.
• Both projects are being developed with an anchor hyperscale customer.
• The network architecture combines new fiber construction, existing Lightpath assets, and strategic partner fiber.
• The deployments follow Lightpath network expansions in Phoenix, eastern Pennsylvania, Columbus, and the Columbus–Chicago long-haul corridor.
“Lightpath is playing an increasingly central role in partnering with hyperscalers to build new fiber infrastructure to address AI-driven demand across the U.S. Fiber infrastructure remains a critical component in the evolving and accelerating AI ecosystem,” said Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath.
🌐 Analysis: The emergence of individual data center campuses with planned capacity exceeding 1 GW increases the importance of fiber route diversity, scalable wavelength capacity, and connections between AI compute clusters and regional network hubs. Lightpath’s expansion from metro networks into new data center markets and its Columbus–Chicago long-haul corridor reflects a broader infrastructure trend in which fiber operators are extending networks toward power-rich AI campus locations rather than relying solely on traditional carrier hotels and established data center clusters.
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Lightpath Lightpath is a U.S. fiber network operator providing enterprise, carrier, cloud, and data-center connectivity services across major metro and regional markets. Profile Updated: July 2026 | |
| Overview | Lightpath operates a fiber-based connectivity platform serving enterprises, carriers, hyperscalers, cloud providers, schools, governments, financial services firms, healthcare organizations, and data-center operators. The company provides dark fiber, wavelengths, Ethernet, Internet access, private networks, cloud connectivity, and data-center interconnection services. |
| Why It Matters | Lightpath is relevant to AI infrastructure because hyperscale and enterprise AI deployments depend on high-count, diverse, low-latency fiber routes between data centers, cloud regions, carrier hotels, cable landing stations, and metro aggregation points. |
| Ownership | Private company; majority-owned by Altice USA, with Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners holding a minority ownership stake. |
| Founded | Lightpath traces its roots to Optimum Lightpath / Cablevision fiber operations. The current Lightpath platform was established as a standalone fiber infrastructure business in 2020. |
| Headquarters | Bethpage, New York |
| CEO / Key Leadership | Chris Morley, Chief Executive Officer |
| Network Footprint | ~12,100 unique route miles; 17,500+ lit service locations; 185+ data centers; 8 cable landing stations. |
| Core Technologies | Dark Fiber Wavelengths Ethernet Data Center Interconnect |
| Key Products / Platforms | Dark fiber; wavelengths; Ethernet; Internet access; private networks; cloud connectivity; data-center connectivity; managed optical and enterprise connectivity services. |
| Major Milestone | In July 2026, Lightpath announced AI-grade fiber builds to support two hyperscale data center campuses under construction in Saline, Michigan and Port Washington, Wisconsin, each planned to exceed 1 GW of capacity. |
| Target Markets | AI Infrastructure Data Centers Middle Mile Cloud Connectivity |
| Editorial Coverage | Converge Digest coverage should track Lightpath’s fiber builds for hyperscale data centers, AI-driven metro and regional capacity demand, dark fiber routes, cloud connectivity, cable landing station access, and enterprise network expansion. |
| Industry Context | As AI campuses expand outside traditional core data-center markets, fiber operators are being asked to deliver diverse, high-capacity routes into new power-rich geographies. Lightpath competes in this segment with regional and national fiber infrastructure providers serving hyperscale, carrier, enterprise, and cloud connectivity demand. |
| Related Knowledge Hubs | Lightpath | AI Infrastructure | Data Centers | Last Mile / Middle Mile |