Zayo Bandwidth, a Louisville, Colo.-based fiber-optic network operator, will provide bandwidth services to the data center provider and network infrastructure consultant DRS in the latter firm's hometown of Youngstown, Ohio.

Three DRS data centers will be taking advantage of the fiber-based backhaul services, connecting them to some of the firm's key clients and a Zayo collocation facility in the Pittsburgh, Pa., area.

Pittsburgh and Youngstown are about 60 miles apart. Zayo will also provide DRS with Internet access out of the Youngstown market.

The most important part of the deal for DRS was ability to provide better bandwidth options to its clients in the Pittsburg area, who until now have been connected through third-party carriers, said the firm's CFO Carl Gordulic.

In a separate agreement, DRS is building new fiber routes that will give Zayo access to the region. "It's ... more of a nice little expansion for (Zayo)," said Zayo VP Andy Sredojevic. "It's an area that we think has some growth to it and we like the adjacency to some of the other markets that we have in that area."

Zayo plans to take on more customers in the region, besides DRS, over time.

One of the DRS data centers in Youngstown is a colocation facility and the other two are used for hosting, managed services and off-site data back-up, Gordulic said. Zayo Bandwidth is a subsidiary of Zayo Group, other units being Zayo Managed Services and Onvoy Voice Services, according to a company statement.

DRS specializes in local area networks, wide area networks and connectivity.