LightCore (Booth 510), a regional wholesale carrier in the central United States, has added 12 markets in Louisiana and Texas through expansion of its network.

LightCore added three OC192 fiber rings with approximately 2,150 route miles of new fiber to its footprint, which spans more than 12,000 miles. The St. Louis-based company says it is its largest network expansion project.

The company established points of presence (PoPs) in various parts of Louisiana, including Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. LightCore also added PoPs in numerous areas of Texas, including Austin, Beaumont, Houston, Nacogdoches, San Antonio, Tyler and Waco.

Our expansion into these additional Louisiana and Texas markets was driven by strong demand from our key customers, says Matt Porterfield, senior vice president of sales and marketing for LightCore, which is a subsidiary of CenturyTel Inc. We work very closely with our customers and invite them to be active participants in all of our network planning initiatives. The added routes are a logical extension of our existing network and will help LightCore achieve its growth objectives.