What Metro Optic does

Metro Optic is a Montreal-based carrier- and datacenter-neutral fiber telecommunications infrastructure provider operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cologix Inc. since March 2019. The company builds, owns, and operates hyperscale fiber networks connecting 22+ major datacenters and interconnection hubs across Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver markets, with extended reach to Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York via its integrated partnership with Crosslake Fibre. Its core infrastructure includes a 200+ km Expo Route in the Montreal region (launched September 2023) providing the only geo-diverse alternative to aging off-island telecom networks, plus participation in the Maple Leaf Fibre joint venture connecting Montreal to Toronto.

The company's product portfolio spans dark fiber (dedicated unlit strands for customer-managed networks), lit services (fully managed connectivity from 1G to 100G), Internet/IP Transit via Tier 1 provider partnerships, and MOCA (Metro Optic Cloud Access) providing dedicated private connectivity to AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Oracle Cloud with 1G and 10G ports. Datacenter Highways deliver diverse fiber links to meet-me-rooms of major datacenter providers. Customers include telecom carriers, ISPs, hyperscale cloud operators, Fortune 500 enterprises, healthcare organizations, logistics companies, gaming platforms, and government agencies. Distribution operates through direct enterprise sales, a channel partner/reseller network across Canada and the USA (supported by a VP Channel Sales), and strategic infrastructure partnerships.

Metro Optic generates revenue through subscription-based recurring contracts (multi-year terms) on dark and lit fiber services, with quote-based pricing that is described as competitive and transparent but not publicly disclosed. Strategic Infrastructure projects, such as Maple Leaf Fibre, use a co-investment/turnkey model. The company is led by a specialized team of approximately 20 employees with deep telecom industry experience, including General Manager Michael Bucheit, and operates under Cologix's broader North American interconnection platform rather than as an independent venture-backed entity.

Name

Metro Optic

Legal name

Metro Optic

Website

https://metrooptic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Metro Optic is a Montreal-based carrier- and datacenter-neutral fiber infrastructure provider, wholly owned by Cologix, operating hyperscale dark and lit fiber networks connecting 22+ datacenters across Canadian metros and US cities for telecom carriers, hyperscale cloud operators, and Fortune 500 enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Wavelength, Spectrum & Dark Fiber Providers (IRU/Leases) (HDAIALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metro Ethernet & Regional Transport Connectivity (HDABALAI), Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), Terrestrial Long-Haul Fiber Backbone Operators (Intercity/Interstate) (HDAIALAG), Fiber Optic Cabling (Singlemode/Multimode) (HDAFALAB), Fiber-Optic Interconnects (Connectors/Cables/Transceivers Interfaces) (HDAHAOAE)

Keywords

• Fiber optic network
• Dark fiber services
• Telecom infrastructure
• Datacenter connectivity
• Interconnection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dark Fiber Services: Dedicated dark fiber infrastructure providing exclusive fiber strands to carriers, enterprises, cloud operators, and datacenter operators for their own network management
2. Lit Fiber Services: Fully managed connectivity services from 1G to 100G capacity, offered across Canada and globally through partner networks
3. Internet/IP Transit Services: Basic internet connectivity services leveraging Tier 1 transit provider partnerships for global connectivity
4. Cloud Access (MOCA): Private dedicated connectivity to public cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Oracle Cloud
5. Strategic Infrastructure/Network Development: Custom turn-key network solutions including route design, construction, and management for strategic fiber routes with co-investment model

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Metro Optic operates a carrier- and datacenter-neutral fiber telecommunications network across Canada, offering dark fiber and lit fiber services. Its infrastructure provides high-count metro and long-haul fiber routes connecting Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, and provides connectivity into third-party data centers, carrier hotels, and cloud on-ramps for carriers, enterprises, cloud providers, and government customers.

Product overview

Metro Optic is a carrier- and datacenter-neutral fiber telecommunications infrastructure provider offering dark and lit fiber solutions across Canada. The company operates a unified portfolio of connectivity products: Dark Fiber and Lit Services form the core infrastructure offerings, supplemented by Internet/IP Transit services for basic connectivity needs. MOCA (Metro Optic Cloud Access) provides dedicated multi-cloud connectivity to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM, and Oracle. Datacenter Highways enables access to major interconnection sites and datacenters in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Strategic Infrastructure (Maple Leaf Fiber) represents the company's long-haul network development initiative connecting Montreal to Toronto via Kingston. The portfolio targets telecom carriers, enterprises, cloud providers, and hyperscale operators through dedicated fiber infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOCA - Metro Optic Cloud Access: Cloud access service connecting customers directly to leading cloud providers including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Oracle Cloud via dedicated hyperscale network.
• Maple Leaf Fibre
• Expo Route

Products and services

• Dark Fiber Services Lease of unlit optical fiber strands on Metro Optic's metro and long-haul routes, allowing carriers, cloud providers, and enterprises to operate their own optical equipment and protocols. Used by customers that need dedicated capacity, control over their optical layer, and scalability across Canadian metros.
• Lit Fiber Services Managed lit transport services delivered over Metro Optic's fiber footprint, providing customers with carrier-grade connectivity between data centers, carrier hotels, and cloud on-ramps without managing their own optical equipment. Targeted at carriers, enterprises, and government customers requiring turnkey high-capacity interconnection.
• Interconnection into Third-Party Data Centers Fiber-based connectivity from Metro Optic's network into third-party data centers, carrier hotels, and cloud on-ramps across Canada, enabling customers to reach multiple facility ecosystems via a single fiber provider.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivers actionable solutions within days if not hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Crosslake FibrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Metro Optic and Crosslake Fibre integrated their networks and service offerings to provide turnkey network infrastructure and low latency fiber solutions to large data users in North America. Both companies are majority owners of Maple Leaf Fibre joint venture connecting Montreal to Toronto. The combined reach includes 40+ critical local datacenters and long-haul routes to international locations including Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York.
• Utilities KingstonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2020Utilities Kingston is a strategic investor and development partner for the Maple Leaf Fibre project, a joint venture with Metro Optic and Crosslake Fibre. Utilities Kingston plans to use the cable system to enhance its state-of-the-art fiber optic services and further broadband connectivity for Kingston community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crosslake Fibre: Crosslake Fibre is a Canadian/U.S./U.K. fiber operator and direct partner of Metro Optic on the Maple Leaf Fibre JV. Both run long-haul subsea/terrestrial routes serving hyperscale and carrier customers across Montreal/Toronto and into U.S. cities, with overlapping product (dark fiber, lit services).
• Beanfield Metroconnect: Beanfield is an independent Canadian fiber operator with dense dark and lit fiber in Toronto and Montreal metros—the exact geography where Metro Optic competes for enterprise, carrier, and datacenter connectivity contracts.
• Allstream: Allstream is a Canadian business-focused fiber and managed connectivity provider serving enterprise and wholesale customers across the same geographies as Metro Optic, with comparable lit services and cloud connectivity offerings.
• FirstLight: FirstLight is a U.S. regional fiber operator with dark fiber, lit services, and cloud connectivity products serving enterprises, carriers, and hyperscale customers—a comparable go-to-market and product mix to Metro Optic's enterprise and carrier business.

Broad incumbents

• Zayo Group: Zayo is a major North American fiber/wholesale operator with extensive long-haul and metro dark fiber routes into the same hyperscale datacenter campuses that Metro Optic targets. Competes with Metro Optic for carrier and enterprise dark fiber sales, but at much larger scale.
• Cogent Communications: Cogent is one of the largest Tier 1 IP transit and metro fiber wholesalers in North America. It competes directly with Metro Optic's Internet/IP Transit offering and overlaps on datacenter-to-datacenter lit services.
• Lumen Technologies: Lumen operates one of the most extensive global fiber backbones with metro presence in Canadian markets. Competes with Metro Optic in lit services, cloud connectivity, and enterprise dark fiber leasing at national scale.
• Bell Canada: Bell is Canada's largest incumbent telecom with significant fiber footprint across Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver—the metros where Metro Optic is concentrated. Overlaps directly on enterprise dark/lit fiber and cloud connectivity.
• TeleCommunication Systems (now Comtech): Comtech (formerly TeleCommunication Systems) has historical presence in communications infrastructure and services. While a broader incumbent, it overlaps with Metro Optic in carrier and enterprise communications services.

Regional players

• Utilities Kingston (Fiber Division): Utilities Kingston is a strategic investor and development partner in the Maple Leaf Fibre JV. Operates a regional fiber utility serving the Kingston market, providing overlap on wholesale/institutional fiber services in Ontario.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MetroOptic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro Optic