CHARLOTTE, NC -- (Marketwire) -- 03/11/13 --

• Expands network across four additional states, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia
• Includes planned interconnects into key data centers and carrier hotels in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ashburn, Virginia
• Delivers coherent, 100 Gbps-ready greenfield network

DukeNet Communications, a leading regional fiber provider of high-bandwidth connectivity solutions for enterprise, data center and carrier businesses in the Southeast, announces today that it has completed a significant network expansion. Adding to its core network across Tier 1, 2 and 3 markets in North Carolina and South Carolina, the network expansion now also enables DukeNet services throughout select markets across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.

Building from the dense and unique network it already controls, DukeNet has now added to its traditional markets with new ones in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama; Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee; Athens and Atlanta, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; and planned expansion into Ashburn, Virginia. DukeNet crafted this expanded footprint by building greenfield Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) infrastructure linking key segments, while also connecting cell towers across the region with seamless long-haul and metro fiber infrastructure.

Importantly, DukeNet is also implementing key network enhancements into and within Atlanta and Ashburn that will provide interconnect capability from its regional markets into some of the industry's most critical and busy Internet hubs. This, too, increases the company's network footprint by connecting into many of the country's biggest data centers in those cities and instantly enabling national and international reach.

"This expanded network footprint greatly increases the value of the infrastructure we have built out over the first 18 years of our history," states Tony Cockerham, DukeNet Chief Operating Officer. "We now provide unique routing into Atlanta that avoids the traditional I-85 transit route, and our planned expansion into Ashburn will avoid the I-95 corridor used by many others. Also, much of our expansion is being completed using coherent, 100 Gbps-capable infrastructure, which will enable us to efficiently and reliably deliver the high-bandwidth services our customers are demanding."

"Both our carrier and enterprise customers alike will benefit from an expanded footprint and the ability to interconnect at more of the industry's critical data centers and cell towers," states Mike Prendergast, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing for DukeNet. "Our network becomes more valuable with the addition of more segments and endpoints, which is something that will also positively impact our channel program. We look forward to even stronger product and service offerings for all these key groups."

About DukeNet Communications

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., DukeNet is a leading regional fiber network provider offering advanced data and high-capacity bandwidth services to enterprise, data center, government and carrier customers. Primarily serving the southeastern United States, DukeNet controls an 8,000 route mile fiber-optic network capable of delivering 100 Gbps services, enabling cloud computing and high-bandwidth applications for enterprise business. More information about DukeNet is available at www.dukenet.com. Follow us on Twitter @DukeNetComm.