New Edge adds 1300 new COs to "Big Foot"

New Edge Networks today announced two new deals expanding its nationwide DSL and frame relay footprints to more than half of the data-enabled central offices in the United States. New Edge has signed interconnection deals with both BellSouth and CLEC Choice One, which serves the upper Midwest and Northeast.

The BellSouth deal gives New Edge access to BellSouth’s 1325 DSL-equipped central offices in the RBOC’s nine-state territory--1065 of COs New Edge had no prior presence in. The Choice One deal gives New Edge access to 225 new COs and switching centers, all equipped with SDSL infrastructure. These agreements--combined with similar wholesale agreements with Covad Communications, MCI, Verizon Communications and DSL.net--gives New Edge a data footprint covering almost every CO and DSLAM in the eastern and southern U.S. as well as sizable coverage in major and mid-sized markets throughout the Midwest, southwest and West Coast.

"I am unaware of any other carrier with that kind of coverage throughout the U.S.," a New Edge spokesman said today. "Our goal is to provide connectivity to our business, enterprise and carrier partners at any business address in the U.S."

New Edge started out four years ago as a nationwide data CLEC focusing on small and mid-sized markets, but soon expanded beyond its 800-CO hinterlands with the addition of a national ATM network and then a launch of project Big Foot last year, designed to bring link enterprises and other multi-location businesses to their remote sites anywhere in the country. In some markets New Edge now has access choices of five different technologies, ranging from ADSL or T-1 lines to Verizon’s new SHDSL technology in LA.

New Edge’s agreement with BellSouth, however, is unique as it gives New Edge immediate access to all 38 of BellSouth’s local access and transport areas (LATAs) through direct network interfaces, meaning New Edge can go anywhere BellSouth offers DSL or frame relay services. In contracts, New Edge is currently connected to about 23 of Verizon’s LATAs, though through its agreement it can connect to all 80 if it chooses. Due to network coverage provided by other partners, New Edge doesn’t need the access to Verizon’s entire network though, the spokesman said.

New Edge also has limited interconnection agreements with SBC for use of some of the RBOC’s COs in Texas and California, but New Edge is in discussions with SBC and the remaining RBOC Qwest over agreements covering their entire territories.