Key takeaways
- EXA Infrastructure is using Ciena’s optical networking solutions for a new route from Ashburn, Virginia, to Atlanta, Georgia, announced October 14th, 2025
- The route offers up to 400 Gb/s connectivity for customers, including large hyperscalers and enterprises
- It tracks along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, bringing a resilient, high-capacity, diverse fiber pathway to the region
- EXA’s network leverages Ciena’s 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) and WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics, with the ability to evolve to WaveLogic 6
- EXA Infrastructure owns 155,000 kilometers of fiber network throughout 37 countries, including 6 transatlantic cables
New Ashburn to Atlanta route
LONDON, UK, and HANOVER, Md., USA – October 14th, 2025 – EXA Infrastructure, a leading digital infrastructure platform provider, is utilizing Ciena's (NYSE: CIEN) optical networking solutions to expand its infrastructure in the U.S. with a new route from Ashburn, Virginia, to Atlanta, Georgia.
To meet the demands of the data center connectivity market and prepare for the transformative impact of AI, the new route offers up to 400 Gb/s connectivity for customers, including large hyperscalers and enterprises, and provides on-net circuits to data centers across the Atlantic.
Key Facts
- EXA Infrastructure owns 155,000 kilometers of fiber network throughout 37 countries in Europe and North America, including 6 transatlantic cables.
- The Ashburn-Atlanta route tracks along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, bringing a resilient, high-capacity, diverse fiber pathway to the region.
- EXA’s network leverages Ciena’s flexible 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) and WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics equipped in the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform for increased performance, energy efficiency, and space savings. Additionally, Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite provides end-to-end network visibility and control.
- With Ciena’s RLS, EXA benefits from simple connectivity to any location, with the ability to evolve to new technologies such as WaveLogic 6 in the future via the same photonic infrastructure.
Executive Quotes
“We are seeing a renewed desire across our US Network for increased 'highly available' bandwidth with versatile connectivity and interface options. Our new Ashburn-Atlanta route, leveraging Ciena’s optical RLS technology, allows us to meet these needs while ‘future proofing’ further technology advancements on our network. This new route enhances our ‘multi corridor’ Trans-Atlantic ‘digital bridge’ to Europe and beyond, providing unmatched scalability, route diversity, and seamless high-speed connectivity on a global scale.”
— Ciaran Delaney, COO, EXA Infrastructure
“Ciena is committed to empowering businesses like EXA Infrastructure to navigate the ever-changing landscape with confidence. With a deep understanding of the expanding data center connectivity market and AI-driven data boom, we worked closely with EXA to deploy a network that is optimally prepared to handle AI technologies, making it possible for their customers to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”
— Virginie Hollebecque, Vice President and Leader of EMEA, Ciena
About EXA Infrastructure
EXA Infrastructure is an award-winning portfolio company of I Squared Capital and the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform throughout Europe, connecting North America and Asia via the Middle East.With over 20 years of experience in building resilient networks, EXA Infrastructure provides the critical modern infrastructure and unrivalled engineering expertise that serves as the backbone for digital and economic growth.This includes mission-critical networks for governments and enterprises, hyperscale infrastructure for the world’s most innovative and influential businesses, and ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth networks for financial, gaming and broadcast services.Headquartered in London, the company owns 155,000 kilometres of fibre network across 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables and the lowest latency link between Europe and North America. For more information, see exainfra.net.
About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most adaptive networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand.By harnessing the power of our networking systems, components, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn and X, or visit the Ciena Insights webpage and Ciena website.
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