Bandwidth : The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation That Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-com Boom

Though it seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, the Bandwidth adventure was a multi-decade rollercoaster ride involving larger-than-life successes and devastating failures. The unbridled ambition of newly minted billionaires and high-profile tycoons created extraordinary value, unprecedented value destruction, and endless opportunities for a brave few.

This reflects tech’s past, present, and future—and is a story you won’t soon forget. Between the monumental breakup of AT&T, the largely unnoticed birth of the Internet, and the establishment of mobile communications and fiber optic networks, the early eighties were rife with upheaval. The collision of these four events ignited a revolution that would forever change how humankind worked, played, educated, and entertained. This boom was a time of insight, creativity, and courage accompanied by deception, fraud, and prison sentences. The pace of consolidation was fierce—but soon, the bubble burst, and the industry was met with ruin. Few could see that the stage was set for a glorious rebirth.

No one knows this boom-bust-rebirth cycle better than Dan Caruso, one of the changemakers who largely shaped the modern communications age. At the dawn of the digital revolution, he was about to embark on an adventure that would not only impact the course of his life for decades to come, but permanently change the very essence of how people relate to each other on a daily basis.

For the first time, Caruso pulls back the curtain in Bandwidth, a no-holds-barred memoir that celebrates the pioneers who invented the Internet’s early backbones, the renegades who lit the fiber revolution, the antics that caused it to all come crashing down, and the new wave of entrepreneurs who rose the industry back from its ashes.

With insights into the cyclical nature of innovation and the indomitable spirit of human ingenuity, Bandwidth is a powerful saga that shines a light on how history may be repeating itself as the AI, quantum, and blockchain Boom cycle is taking hold.

Dan Caruso, nicknamed “the Bear” for his tenacity and drive, is a fierce business leader known for his extraordinary track record of success in the telecommunications industry.

As founder and CEO of Zayo Group, Caruso led the company to a $14.3 billion exit, delivering exceptional returns for investors. His career highlights include co-founding executive roles at Level 3 Communications and leadership positions at Metropolitan Fiber Systems (MFS), both achieving multibillion-dollar enterprise values. Caruso also spearheaded the 2004 take-private of ICG Communications, achieving a remarkable 25x return.

In 2020, he founded Caruso Ventures, a prominent investment firm focusing on quantum technology, space tech, and other Colorado scaleups. A three-time “Decacorn” entrepreneur, his expertise is shared with aspiring innovators through numerous organizations, including Endeavor Global, Elevate Quantum, and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Caruso holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. His numerous accolades include the Chicago Booth Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship, the Colorado Technology Association’s Bob Newman Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Colorado Governor’s Corporate Citizenship Medal. Caruso has also inspired future generations as a commencement speaker for both the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering and the University of Colorado, Boulder, MBA program.