AT&T, CenturyLink and competitors are divided on dark fiber potential

Interest in dark fiber has reemerged in telecom due to the escalating demands for business services and by wireless operators that need bigger backhaul pipes to keep up with the insatiable demand for wireless data.

Just how big is the dark fiber opportunity? According to Atlantic-ACM US Long Haul Wholesale Carrier Report Card, 27 percent of the participating wholesale buyers reported purchasing dark fiber, and 57 percent of those already buying anticipate increased spends on dark fiber in 2015.

The three largest US-based telecommunications companies -- AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink -- have chosen to sell an array of fiber-based Ethernet or wavelength services. Fedor Smith, president of Atlantic ACM, wrote that their concern is that they would give an advantage to a nearby competitor.