Zayo, Fermaca now expect US-Mexico data corridor to be ready in 2026

Communications infrastructure provider Zayo forecasts that the US-Mexico data corridor being developed in partnership with Mexican long-haul fiber supplier Fermaca Networks will be completed in early 2026.

Initially, Zayo said that the network could be ready in 2025.

The companies claim that the project is the longest route in Mexico for over 20 years. 

Ultimately, Zayo said it will be the first company to provide a full North American data corridor, spanning from Quebéc in Canada through the US and reaching Querétaro in central Mexico via interconnecting fiber routes.

“We will bridge the connectivity gaps between the three countries through border crossings – five of which exist between the border of the US and Mexico, and one connecting into this dark fiber route," the US company said in a statement.

THE SYSTEM

The system is projected to provide scalable 400Gbps connectivity and will include points-of-presence (PoPs) in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Torreón, Aguascalientes, Guadalajara and Querétaro, supporting businesses and corporates in those locations.  

As previously reported, phase 1 of the US-Mexico route will run fully underground, parallel to existing natural gas systems in some areas, and will follow highway routes elsewhere.

Zayo will leverage this Fermaca route and its own redundant route north of the border. It will provide access through Querétaro with a diverse border crossing through El Paso, Texas. 

"Our partnership with Fermaca marks an exciting milestone for Zayo as we continue to push the boundaries of connectivity for the digital age," Zayo president Andrés Irlando said last May.

Zayo's global network comprises around 26mn kilometers of fiber. The network delivers a tier-1 internet backbone, providing secure, low-latency connectivity to global centers of commerce, as well as 25 of the largest global exchanges.

In October 2022, Zayo announced the expansion of its infrastructure and tier-1 IP network to the border cities of McAllen and Laredo, Texas, with two new 100Gbps IP PoPs and 400Gbps functionalities.

Previously, the company announced plans for low-latency routes into São Paulo.