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Stealth Communications

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Stealth Communications
TypePrivate
IndustryInternet & communications
Founded1995 (31 years ago) (1995)
HeadquartersNew York City
Area served
New York City
Key peopleShrihari Pandit and Jinci Liu (Co founders).[1]
ProductsInternet services
Dark fibre
Proactive cyber defence
Defense
Owners
ASN8002 Edit this at Wikidata
Traffic Levels>20 Tbps[3]
Websitewww.stealth.net

Stealth Communications is an American fiber-based Internet service provider (ISP), installing and maintaining its own fiber optic network throughout New York City. Stealth began rolling out its Gigabit Internet services in late 2013 to businesses throughout Manhattan, using in-house employees to lay its own fiber-optic cabling.[4] In July 2015, City of New York and Stealth announced a $5.3 million public/private partnership to expand fiber broadband into the Brooklyn and Queens Industrial Business Zones.[5][6] As of May 2019, the company reported to have connected hundreds of commercial properties with fiber, over 100 fiber route miles.[7]

Overview

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Stealth Communications started in 1995 to provide ultrafast Internet connectivity to businesses in NYC.[8] In 2013 the company received authorization from the City of New York to construct its own fiber network. [9] [10]

This authorization followed a major structural shift by the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation, which discontinued its legacy telecommunications franchise model. [11] In its place, the city introduced an updated dual-structure framework that separated rights into distinct Telecommunications Services and Information Services franchises. [12] On February 11, 2013, following public hearings to transition to this new system, Stealth Communications became the first provider approved under this modernized framework, securing both agreements simultaneously to begin rolling out its independent infrastructure.[13]

In 2022, Stealth was recognized as the fastest local/regional Internet provider in the U.S., with speeds exceeding 7.5 Gbps.[14]

Technology

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Fiber distribution

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Stealth utilizes an underground conduit system for placing its fiber-optic cables, that is owned and maintained by Empire City Subway.[15][16] Once their fiber-optic cable reaches the closest manhole to the building, Stealth pulls the fiber-optic cable through existing conduits or builds a new conduit into the building.[17][18] In certain cases due to the conditions of the conduit system, conduits are clogged or collapsed often causing costly re-routing by lengthy distances and construction of entirely new conduits.[19][20][21]

Stealth Fiber installing fiber cable underneath Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Stealth installing dark fibre cable in Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Stealth Microtrenching in Chinatown, installing micro-conduits
Fiber-Optic Manhole Cover of Stealth Communications in NYC.

Fiber technology

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Stealth implements WDM fiber transmission technology for connecting customers to its hubs, by allocating a wavelength for each customer, whereas each wavelength is capable of transmitting between 1 Gbit/s to 400 Gbit/s.[16][22] The company claims that it makes use of special materials to split and combine multiple wavelengths running through the fiber-optic cables without requiring electricity.[16]

Routing infrastructure

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Stealth Communications has used several generations of high-capacity routing platforms. In 2003, the company selected routers from Procket Networks for a 10 Gigabit Ethernet IP/MPLS metro core network in New York City[23][24]. In 2005, it deployed Force10 Networks E-Series equipment, supporting Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections.[25]

In 2022, Nokia announced that Stealth had selected its 7750 Service Router and 7220 Interconnect Router platforms for an upgrade of the company's New York City metro core.[26][27]. Nokia's deployment included 7750 SR-14s core routers supporting FP5 line cards, with FP4 line cards used in the initial rollout.

According to the company's published history, Stealth also developed PC- and FPGA-based routing and Layer-2 networking systems during the 1990s, including systems capable of 1 Gbit/s full-duplex transmission.[28]

IPv6 deployment

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In 2000, Stealth Communications joined the 6bone experimental network to deploy IPv6.[28] Following a routing peer-review process overseen by Bob Fink of Energy Sciences Network and Rob Rockwell of Sprint, the company was assigned a Pseudo Top-Level Aggregation (pTLA) identifier to route IPv6 traffic.[29]

On February 1, 2001, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) allocated Stealth a production sub-Top-Level Aggregation (sTLA) address block (2001:458::/32).[30] This assignment made Stealth one of the first ten in North America to receive a production IPv6 allocation from ARIN.[31]

In late 2001, Stealth established the New York IPv6 Exchange (NY6IX).The internet exchange point interconnected networks for entities including Sprint[32], France Telecom, the United States Department of Defense, Qwest, IIJ[33], and ESNet.[34][35][36]

References

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  1. ↑ Messina, Judith (2014-02-13). "David versus the broadband Goliaths". Crains New York. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 "City of New York, Franchise Agreeement, Appendix D" (PDF). Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ "PeeringDB". PeeringDB. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  4. ↑ Neubauer, Miranda (17 October 2014). "In Harlem, officials and industry seek broadband momentum". Politico. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Digital deserts' of Brooklyn, Queens to get broadband boost". Bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Flamm, Matthew. "City will bring high-speed broadband to digital deserts in Brooklyn and Queens". Crains New York. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Stealth Communications Connects NYC". Retrieved 2025-11-10. "Podcast – The Divide: Stealth's Shrihari Pandit on bringing fiber to underserved business communities". Archived from the original on 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2023-03-22.Powell, Rob. "Metro Fiber and On-Net Buildings List". Telecom Ramblings. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Jeffres, Michelle; Lajoie, Scott (5 October 1998). "Who Makes What". Forbes. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Tech Tenants Want Office Buildings With Multiple Broadband Providers". Observer.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Franchise Agreement Between City of New York and Stealth Communications" (PDF). City of New York. 2013-02-20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  11. ↑ "Information Services Franchises". NYC Office of Technology and Innovation. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Information Services Franchise Agreement between The City of New York and Stealth Communications Services, LLC" (PDF). The City of New York. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  13. ↑ "City of New York - The City Record" (PDF).
  14. ↑ Silver, Stephen (2022-08-31). "Need for Speed: These Are the Fastest Internet Providers of 2022". The National Interest. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Race is on to bring broadband to outer boroughs". Crain's New York. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  16. 1 2 3 "New York City Awards Fiber-Optic Networks to Some Businesses". GOVERNING. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  17. ↑ Dale, Brady (20 May 2015). "Silicon Bowery: Does the Bowery Own the Future of Manhattan Creatives?". Commercial Observer. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  18. ↑ Robuck, Mike (2020-05-06). "Stealth CEO: Asymmetric broadband speeds cause strain during work from home efforts". Fierce Telecom. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  19. ↑ Flamm, Matthew (13 May 2014). "Crossed Wires: Untangling NYC's broadband underground". Crains New York. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Clogged arteries: NYC's fiber mess" (Map). Google Maps. Crains New York. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "Ten Gbps Broadband Service Coming to Southwest Brooklyn". Observer.com. 2015-07-29. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Nokia to upgrade Stealth Communications' core network". Lightreading. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  23. ↑ ""Stealth Communications Selects Procket for IP/MPLS Backbone"".
  24. ↑ ["https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/procket-networks-coo-resigns/" ""Procket Networks COO resigns""]. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  25. ↑ ""Stealth Communications deploys Force10 E-Series"".
  26. ↑ ""Nokia selected to upgrade Stealth Communications' core network for increased capacity and DDoS security"".
  27. ↑ ["https://www.lightreading.com/security/nokia-to-upgrade-stealth-communications-core-network" ""Nokia to upgrade Stealth Communications' core network""]. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  28. 1 2 "About Stealth Communications: Our History". Stealth.net. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  29. ↑ "6bone Peer Review and Routing Infrastructure Documentation". 6bone Archive / ESnet. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Ghost Route Hunter: IPv6 DFP visibility for ARIN". SixXS. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  31. ↑ Projected Impacts of the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) (Technical report). California IPv6 Task Force. 2001. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Pv6 at Sprint" (PDF).
  33. ↑ "IIJ Announces Positive Operating Income for the 2nd Quarter 2001 Results" (PDF).
  34. ↑ "Report on IPv6 Trends in the United States". Japan Internet Foundation. August 2003. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Getting Started With IPv6" (PDF).
  36. ↑ "ニューヨーク駐在員報告（2003年8月） 「米国におけるIPv6を巡る動向」" (PDF).
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