en.Wedoany.com Reported - Funds managed by Blue Owl Capital Inc. (NYSE: OWL) announced on July 8 the creation of Kirkwood Infrastructure Group (Kirkwood IG), a wholly owned next-generation communications infrastructure development and operating company dedicated to supporting the digital transformation of the United States.
Kirkwood IG serves hyperscale customers, data center operators, telecommunications carriers, and local communities by developing, owning, and operating advanced conduits, high-fiber-count cables, and related communications infrastructure assets. The platform supports the growing connectivity demand driven by data centers, next-generation computing, cloud, and other bandwidth-intensive use cases.
The management team, comprising CEO Scott Bergs, CFO Tim Leighton, CCO Mike Sevret, Chief Network Development Officer Chris Pancione, and Chief Network Operations Officer Jason Cohen, collectively brings decades of experience in developing and commercializing next-generation network infrastructure. Over the past five years, the team has successfully deployed and commercialized over 600 miles of network, including previous Blue Owl-supported fiber development platforms Dark Fiber & Infrastructure (exited) and South Reach Networks (SRN). The company will also benefit from the support of Blue Owl-appointed board members Chris Jensen, Luke Gilpin, and Aaron Small.
Kirkwood IG has integrated the operations of Florida-based South Reach Networks (SRN), including its nearly 400 miles of network, 40 near-net and in-net data centers, and key cable landing stations. Concurrently, the company is building over 200 miles of conduit and high-capacity fiber in Louisiana and Mississippi, extending from Shreveport to Vicksburg, to support the growth of hyperscale data center development in the region.
Scott Bergs, CEO of Kirkwood IG, stated that U.S. digital infrastructure construction is just beginning, and the team has an outstanding track record in deploying industry-leading network infrastructure that underpins the next wave of computing demand and digital transformation. He expressed excitement about continuing hyperscale expansion efforts with Blue Owl and looks forward to jointly expanding their impact.
With support from Blue Owl's digital infrastructure strategy, Kirkwood IG plans to expand into new markets alongside key data center development partners whose projects are entering new regions across the United States. Kirkwood IG will operate independently of Blue Owl's investment in Gigabit Fiber LLC, a leading fiber infrastructure provider in Texas.
Chris Jensen, Managing Director and Head of Digital Infrastructure at Blue Owl, noted that the Southeast region offers significant opportunities and rapid growth for hyperscale customers. He looks forward to leveraging Kirkwood IG's proven network development capabilities to open new data center markets, accelerate critical infrastructure deployment, and support customer growth in the Southeast and beyond.
