Looking Glass Networks

About Looking Glass Networks

Looking Glass Networks, Inc., established in 2000 and headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, was a provider of metropolitan data transport services. The company was reportedly founded by seasoned telecommunications executives with a track record in managing metro networks. Its primary investors included Battery Ventures and Madison Dearborn Partners.

The firm specialized in delivering a suite of data transport solutions to carrier and enterprise customers. Its business model centered on building, owning, and operating metropolitan fiber optic networks. This infrastructure enabled the rapid provision of services such as SONET/SDH, Wavelength-division multiplexing, Ethernet, IP connectivity, and high-capacity dark fiber. Additionally, the company offered carrier-neutral colocation and custom network design and build services for specific campus or data center needs. The network infrastructure was designed to offer customers reliable and physically diverse connections to key data aggregation points, including carrier hotels and major enterprise buildings.

Operating across major U.S. metropolitan areas like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., Looking Glass Networks established a significant physical presence. At its peak, the network encompassed approximately 2,000 route miles, connecting over 140 carriers, with more than 760 points of presence and providing lit fiber connectivity to roughly 215 buildings. A significant milestone in the company's history occurred on August 3, 2006, when it was acquired by Level 3 Communications. Following the acquisition, the emphasis of the service offering shifted from dark fiber to managed lit services. Subsequently, Level 3 Communications was acquired by CenturyLink in a transaction completed on November 1, 2017.