To meet the continuing demand for fiber, Lumen is now investing in another 6 million fiber miles, expected to be installed by 2026. Once complete, Lumen's U.S. intercity investment will reach nearly 12 million fiber miles, creating diverse routes to more than 50 major cities across the country. To set this network apart from others, Lumen continues upgrading its infrastructure using a multi-conduit system, allowing for the quick deployment of the latest fiber technology.

"We are creating a next-gen network, and fiber type matters," said Andrew Dugan, Lumen chief technology officer. "As demand for optical fiber increases and technology evolves, Lumen's multi-conduit infrastructure means we can install the latest fiber type quickly and economically. It's difficult to upgrade legacy intercity networks without multiple conduits. These networks end up being stuck with older fiber technology. Lumen is fixing that issue with our upgraded technology. We can extend signal reach to help reduce equipment costs and increase bandwidth capacity. Using ultra-low-loss fiber on the Lumen network is a major component of what differentiates us from other network providers."

Lumen is continuing to use Corning's SMF-28® ULL fiber and SMF-28® Ultra fiber to upgrade its intercity infrastructure and add capacity to its network. This is the latest in optical technology.