Company plans 1,000 miles of new fiber as well as micro
Edge data centers-US data center and network firm US Signal is expanding two of its data centers in Michigan and Iowa, as well as expanding its fiber network and developing a network of Edge facilities.
The company this week announced new investments in its Detroit Metro and Des Moines data centers, and the deployment of more than 1,000 miles of new fiber and conduit across key US corridors. The $200 million capital expenditure program is being supported by US Signal owner Igneo Infrastructure Partners.
US Signal is adding 3MW of commercial power at its MI03 Detroit Metro data center and 6MW at its IA01 Des Moines facility. The company said it was tailoring the expansions for hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprise customers that need high-density power and cooling infrastructure capable of supporting modern AI and Edge workloads.
As well as the 1,000 miles of new fiber and conduit, the company said the new infrastructure will include micro-Edge data centers for fiber regeneration and colocation with Edge-to-core performance to support AI computing, inference, and consolidated Edge deployments.
Details of the number, location, and scope of planned Edge facilities weren’t shared.
“We’re building far more than just additional capacity, we’re building the digital foundation for the next decade of AI, cloud, and Edge computing,” said Daniel Watts, CEO of US Signal. “As enterprises and hyperscalers look beyond the core to deploy scalable, low-latency infrastructure, US Signal is delivering the power, proximity, and performance required to meet that demand—regionally and nationally.”
Founded in 2001, US Signal provides data center, cloud hosting, and colocation services. Acquired by Igneo Infrastructure Partners in February 2023, the company operates a 9,500-mile fiber network and has around 16 data centers across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, Colorado, and Wisconsin.
“We see US Signal as a cornerstone digital infrastructure platform in the United States, with the right assets, leadership, and long-term strategy to meet the rising demand for AI, cloud, and Edge connectivity,” said Michael Ryder, chairman of the Board for US Signal and partner and co-head of North America at Igneo Infrastructure Partners. “This investment reflects our commitment from US Signal and Igneo, to build critical infrastructure that delivers sustainable value to enterprises, hyperscalers, and service providers nationwide.”
Located at 390 N Alice's Road in Waukee, IA01 offers 2MW across a total of 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sqm). MI03, at 9275 Haggerty Road in Belleville, offers 1.5MW across 25,000 sq ft (2,323 sqm); the company first gained planning permission for the facility back in 2019.
At the end of 2023, the colo company acquired a data center in Indianapolis, Indiana, and earlier this year acquired OneNeck, taking over six facilities across the US. It acquired a former DXC data center in Detroit, Michigan, in August 2024. The IA01 site was amongst those acquired from OneNeck.
In the same way that subsea cable systems have repeaters every ~100km (62 miles) to amplify signals being sent between locations, in-line amplifier (ILA) sites amplify signals sent along terrestrial fiber.
While not as prevalent (or large) as telephone exchanges/Central Offices along copper networks, some companies are starting to see these facilities as a potential Edge data center opportunity. Cogent has converted dozens of former Sprint fiber switch sites into colocation facilities. Lightpath recently announced plans to deploy Edge data centers at four ILA sites in the US, while Meta is looking at creating a new open specification to modernize ILA designs.
