Lightpath expands Columbus underground fiber build to 304 miles for AI demand
(UI) — While expanding AI-driven data center infrastructure in central Ohio, Lightpath has secured a third major network award in the Greater Columbus market, extending its underground fiber build to 304 total route miles.
The latest award adds 55 route miles of 100% underground, multi-conduit fiber extending southwest of Columbus toward Cincinnati. The expansion builds on a network already under construction and reflects continued demand from hyperscale customers requiring high-capacity, AI-ready connectivity.
Construction across the Columbus region is being delivered in phases. Lightpath said approximately 102 route miles — roughly one-third of the total announced build — are expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, ahead of the original delivery timeline. The remaining mileage is scheduled to come online in the first half of 2027.
“Securing a third award in Columbus underscores the consistency of demand we're seeing from hyperscale customers as they expand AI infrastructure at scale,” said Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath. “Our focus remains on executing reliably and building infrastructure that supports long-term, mission-critical workloads.”
The growing network strengthens regional fiber connectivity across Central and Southwest Ohio, supporting both metro and intercity data center interconnection as compute platforms scale across multiple U.S. markets.
“Delivering a significant portion of this build ahead of schedule reflects the operational discipline behind our infrastructure strategy,” said Tim Haverkate, EVP of Major Infrastructure at Lightpath. “This phased expansion positions us to support continued growth in Columbus while maintaining the performance and reliability our customers expect.”
Lightpath said the Columbus expansion aligns with its broader strategy of deploying dense, all-fiber infrastructure in key U.S. markets to support hyperscale, carrier, and enterprise customers with scalable, production-ready connectivity.
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