iaxis Launches Second Phase of Network

Telecommunications company iaxis (New York and London) launched Phase Two of its pan-European network, iaxisenroute. The company invested about $150 million in this phase of its network, which will stretch over 5000 km and pass 10 cities in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. iaxis also signed a deal with Via Net. Works (Via) to provide Via, which has a significant presence in Latin America and Europe, with low-cost bandwidth from the iaxisenroute network.

iaxis will market the network to fixed and mobile telecom operators, resellers, ISPs, and systems integrators who need fast entry into new markets. iaxis claims iaxisenroute is Europe's highest capacity (multi-terabit), lowest cost network. More than 2000 km have already been lit and the remaining network is scheduled to go live by the end of the month.

Phase One, which went live in May 1999, stretches over 3000 km covering London; Paris and Strasbourg, France; Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, Germany; Rotterdam and Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium. Phase Three will go live in Q2 2000 and increase the network by 4000 km.

Phase Two now joins Phase One in Frankfurt with Stuttgart, Munich, Nurnberg, Leipzig, and Berlin, Germany as well as Basel, Bellinzona, Geneva, and Zurich, Switzerland. The remaining part of Phase Two, scheduled to go live by the end of the month, will link Paris; Geneva, Switzerland; and Milan and Bellinzona, Italy. A second German ring will link Dusseldorf and Berlin.

Edited by Kristin Keiser