ORIGINALLY DISTRIBUTED BY THE BASTROP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Bastrop, Texas, May 19, 2017 – Bastrop Economic Development Corporation today announced that it is partnering with Georgia-based FiberLight, LLC to bring 1- and 10-gigabit fiber connectivity to the Bastrop Business and Industrial Park by mid-2017. Working with the FiberLight team, the EDC developed plans to access a dark fiber (unused fiber optic cable) node near the business park to extend service to its existing and future tenants. The optical fiber-based services initially will serve all developed sites, with fiber build-out to continue as the business park is expanded.
“We have known for several years that dark fiber was available in the Highway 71 corridor stretching from Austin to Houston as part of a larger network,” said Bastrop EDC Executive Director Shawn Kirkpatrick, CEcD. “Optical fiber-based service is essential to providing ever-faster bandwidth that accommodates the accelerating data and communications needs of today’s increasingly technology-driven companies.”
The Bastrop EDC welcomed FiberLight’s 20 years of experience in navigating the complexities associated with planning, engineering and installing fiber optic networks. Current and future business park tenants will benefit from reliable and secure connectivity right at the curb, enabling them to get facilities online quickly and speeding their time to market. In particular, adding fiber connectivity to the business park further enhances its appeal to technology, biotech and life science companies.
“Bastrop’s biotech and life science cluster already generates over 750 jobs within the park and the community, primarily in research and development,” Kirkpatrick noted. “This cost-effective, state-of-the-art service opens the door for a large-scale technology company to locate in Bastrop, access our technology workforce, and take advantage of fiber connectivity that scales with their needs. And, our local technology talent is definitely excited about the possibility of working closer to home.”
Forthcoming installation spurs early commitments
FiberLight is contracted to install a backbone fiber network within the Bastrop Business and Industrial Park right of way. Construction commenced on May 18th and will be completed in the next few months. Two current business park tenants have already signed on as anchor users: Medical device maker AEI Technologies, whose new facility is under construction, is expected to be the first user of fiber within the business park. A soon-to-be-announced project has committed to signing on later in 2017 when it completes the acquisition of its new facility. Several current tenants will connect networks in the near future.
Bastrop Business Park poised for site additions and infrastructure build-out
Earlier in 2017, the Bastrop EDC Board of Directors approved planning, engineering and site-improvement funding for its business park. Earlier this month, Bowman Consulting, the EDC’s engineering firm, updated the board on progress in completing the infrastructure for the northern portion of the park. As part of this planning, the
Once the northern portion is complete, Bowman Consulting will undertake infrastructure development of the park’s southern acreage. This will include both additional shovel-ready sites and a unique technology site. The Bastrop EDC has identified a 40-acre site that will be optimized for up to 400,000 square feet of flex space. The site’s distinctive characteristics make it an ideal location for a data center: adjacent fiber connectivity, dual-feed electrical service, and abundant natural gas for onsite power backup.
“FiberLight was excited and inspired by Bastrop EDC’s future-focused vision for its business park, including its understanding that growing bandwidth demands will continue to increase enterprise dependency on technology. Bastrop EDC has proven itself as a leader in economic development by providing critical utility infrastructure, including fiber connectivity, thereby positioning the Bastrop Business and Industrial Park as an ideal home for data centers and a robust range of data-focused businesses,” said Mike Ellison, FiberLight’s regional vice president of sales for Texas.
“Because Bastrop EDC invited us to participate in collaborative strategic planning during the early stages of this initiative, FiberLight can now partner with any size organization to provide high-bandwidth dark fiber, transport and internet services into and within the park. We’re honored to be included in this project and enthusiastically look forward to helping the Bastrop Business and Industrial Park flourish.”
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About the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation
Established in 1995, the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) enhances the quality of life in Bastrop, Texas by advancing the investment, development, growth and relocation of companies within the area. In addition to providing appropriate infrastructure, it promotes and supports economic development in the community that offers the people of Bastrop sustainable, meaningful and rewarding employment opportunities, and greater access to desirable goods and services. Visit https://bastropedc.org.
About FiberLight
Alpharetta, Georgia-based FiberLight, LLC is a premier provider of fiber-optic based, high-performance networking services for telecom carriers, government, enterprise, content providers and web-centric businesses. FiberLight owns more than 1,700,000 miles of robust fiber networks in over 44 key growth areas in U.S. cities and towns within Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C., offering wide area networking options at layers 1, 2 and 3 to major commercial hubs throughout the country. To learn more about FiberLight’s service offerings, visit www.fiberlight.com.