Fiber-Optic Networks Regain Some Glow

After the telecom bubble burst a decade ago, fiber was a dirty word.

Now, the fiber-optic network business is enjoying a resurgence, particularly for metro fiber, the high-capacity lines that connect a city’s office buildings, data centers and cellular towers to the Internet.

There have been 14 acquisitions in the industry this year alone and 45 since the fiber market began its turnaround in 2006, according to investment bank Cowen & Co.

“There’s a shortage of metro fiber, and the demand is just going through the roof,” said Rob Shanahan, chief executive of Lightower Fiber Networks, a fiber company serving the Northeast that has acquired five other companies since 2008.

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