Uniti Wholesale has announced an expansion of its dark fiber network across the South-Central US, anchored by a 20-year customer contract with a total contract value of over $500 million. Uniti says the initiative adds 1,100 route miles of ultra high-capacity fiber and includes space-and-power upgrades at more than 20 colocation sites, aiming to connect Tier-one markets with growing AI data center hubs.
Uniti says the build will interconnect AI deployments in Amarillo and Haskell, Texas, and tie into a previously announced approximately 480-mile fiber route with locations in Muskogee, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee. Phase One is scheduled for delivery in January 2026 and includes a 337-mile fiber build from Tulsa to Little Rock, plus a 145-mile route connecting Little Rock to Memphis. Uniti says subsequent phases will be delivered throughout 2026 and 2027.
Uniti positions the project as an “AI backbone” buildout, with new routes intended to connect Dallas to data center markets including Memphis, Little Rock, Muskogee, Haskell, and Amarillo. It also calls out an Amarillo-Claude metro expansion of more than 106 route miles of new, high-count, diverse fiber designed to provide multiple fiber paths connecting Amarillo to AI campuses in Claude, Texas.
On the facilities side, Uniti says it is upgrading space and power across more than 20 in-line amplification (ILA) colocation sites, with the goal of accelerating turn-ups and enabling rapid capacity augments. Uniti also describes the fiber build as adding 1,100 route miles of high-count fiber to support multi-terabit growth and future network expansion.
“We are building the backbone for the future of AI—right here at home,” said Kenny Gunderman, President and CEO. “This expansion gives our customers the resilient, high-capacity infrastructure to scale mission-critical workloads with confidence—today and tomorrow. Anchored by a leading hyperscaler, this initiative is proof that our network is ready for AI at scale.”
Source: Uniti Wholesale
