MIAMI, April 18 -- FPL FiberNet has agreed to provide dark fiber for Sphera Optical Networks Inc. in South Florida. The company will supply multiple strands of dark fiber in the metro Miami ring.
    "Sphera is now positioned for virtually unlimited network growth in the South Florida market due to FPL FiberNet's ability to deliver high-quality dark fiber with the fastest transmission speeds available as well as their presence in major carrier condos," said Harold Grossnickle, chairman and CEO of Sphera.
    FPL FiberNet, headquartered in Miami, operates a 2300-mile fiber optic network linking the major cities within Florida. FPL FiberNet has installed 120 miles of fiber cable in metropolitan Miami and by year-end 2001 will have completed similar intra-city networks in the largest metropolitan areas -- encompassing more than 150 municipalities -- in the state.