Connectivity and Networking

High-Capacity Layer 1 & 2 Services

  • Wavelength Solutions: Ideal for high-bandwidth data center interconnects (DCI). They now offer speeds up to 400 Gbps (and in some corridors, up to 1.2 Tbps). Their "RapidRoutes" program aims for deployment in about 20 business days.

  • Ethernet Services: Standard Layer 2 connectivity (E-Line, E-LAN) for linking offices and data centers.

  • Ethernet On-Demand: A Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) offering that allows you to provision and scale bandwidth (up to 400 Gbps) in real-time through a self-service portal, with pay-as-you-go billing.


2. IP & Internet Services

  • Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): Symmetrical speeds up to 100 Gbps on a heavily peered global backbone (AS3356).

  • Internet On-Demand: Similar to their Ethernet NaaS, this allows for rapid deployment of dedicated internet over multi-service ports, useful for temporary sites or seasonal bursts.

  • IP VPN (MPLS): A private, secure WAN solution. Lumen has recently aligned their IP VPN pricing closer to DIA rates and offers "IP VPN On-Demand" for faster cloud-to-edge scaling.


3. Cloud & AI Connectivity

  • Multi-Cloud Gateway (MCGW): A newer software-defined routing layer that provides private, high-capacity links between different cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and on-premise data centers.

  • Private Connectivity Fabric (PCF): Specifically designed for AI model training and massive data movement, used by major hyperscalers to link GPU clusters and data centers.

4. Edge & Managed Networking

  • SD-WAN & SASE: Lumen integrates SD-WAN with security layers (Firewall-as-a-Service, Zero Trust) to manage branch-to-cloud traffic.

  • Edge Computing: Placing compute resources closer to the data source (within 5ms of latency for most US locations) to reduce lag for real-time applications.