Heartland Fiber Project address rural AI hyperscaler opportunities

DCN, Range, and WIN Technology Heartland Fiber Project address rural AI hyperscaler opportunities

Lightwave | May 28, 2026

The joint initiative expands long‑haul fiber infrastructure to meet growing data demands.

Key Highlights

• The project spans Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, with construction beginning this summer and deployment over the next one to two years.

  
  

• It enhances connectivity options for hyperscalers seeking alternatives to Northern Virginia, driven by increased data demands from AI and large-scale computing.

  
  

• DCN, Range, and WIN bring extensive fiber assets—over 70,000, 6,500, and 22,000 miles respectively—to create a resilient, scalable network supporting future growth.

  
  

• The initiative exemplifies rural telco industry collaboration, leveraging collective assets to meet the evolving needs of hyperscalers and regional businesses.

  
  

• Beyond hyperscalers, the network will serve a broad range of business and wholesale customers with dark fiber, Ethernet, and optical wavelength services.

Read the entire Lightwave article here.