From this teleport, GDS can "see" the Western hemisphere (North and South America and Western Africa). This allows GDS to provide completely managed remote office communications and data to anywhere, anytime. This managed service not only replicates the conveniences of interoffice functionality but also integrates into a robust business continuance and disaster recovery solution. This wireless solution is not subject to the issues copper and fiber distribution plants have with telephone pole damage, water intrusion, or breakage during digging. The carrier-class 7.3 meter satellite dish will stay on the air with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour and survive at winds over 200 miles per hour. For further redundancy, the Lafayette teleport is mirrored in Riverside, California with auto-failover. Additional teleport build out is planned in 2009 with a similar design and mirroring in the Northeastern United States. This capital investment in Lafayette will produce 51 high-tech jobs, many of which will be fed by the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.
(Photo courtesy of Courtney Plaeger)