360 bringing wholesale VoIP to major metros

360Networks, which has brought wholesale VoIP service to mostly smaller markets throughout the Western states, is now targeting more major cities within its network footprint.

In addition to service launches in Los Angeles and San Diego this week (debuting its wholesale VoIP service in California with 238 new rate centers in two local access transport areas [LATAs]), the carrier is pushing wholesale VoIP into Dallas and Chicago this year, adding to cities such as Denver and Seattle.

360 began offering wholesale VoIP in the fall of 2006, initially spreading throughout Qwest Communications territory. But it has since expanded outside that footprint, inking local interconnect agreements with Verizon Communications, Embarq, CenturyTel and, most recently, AT&T.

“We’ve been wanting to do California for quite a while,” said Nick Reifschneider, product manager for 360’s VoIP business. “There’s just a lot of process work that has to take place, lighting up with AT&T.”

360 sells wholesale VoIP to a mix of customers, from small wireless Internet service providers and cable companies to large wholesale carriers and resellers of termination traffic. Its competitors include Level 3 Communications, Paetec, Global Crossing and, increasingly in California, Pac-West Telecomm.

After L.A. and San Diego, 360 will next target San Francisco and Sacramento, followed by smaller markets throughout the Golden State. “We’re starting south and marching north…on a LATA-by-LATA basis,” Reifschneider said.

But the company, whose network goes as far east as Chicago, says it has no plans to expand its network into the eastern US because that would require 360 to purchase off-network facilities.

Late last year, the company deployed optical equipment from Infinera in order to light its own network between Chicago and Denver -- a route in which 360 previously leased capacity from others. That move not only gave the carrier plenty of capacity on that route, it also allowed 360 to launch wholesale VoIP service in Iowa and Nebraska.

360 wants to launch service in Chicago before the end of this year, but that process is slowed by the fact that the city has penned its own requirements for emergency 911 VoIP service. (360 works with Entrado for e911.)

And the company hopes to launch service in Dallas in June.