Service providers are rapidly building broadband in communities nationwide via fiber, existing coax, and wireless. The Great Broadband Build is a weekly roundup of the latest broadband network deployments.
You can send news directly to Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities, at sean@bbcmag.com. Stay abreast of each installment of The Great Broadband Build here.
AT&T, BlackRock Gigapower Targets Northeastern Pennsylvania
AT&T plans to bring its fiber internet service to Northeastern Pennsylvania via the Gigapower joint venture between AT&T and BlackRock, bringing fiber service to communities outside of the telco’s traditional wireline service area. The build-out in Northern Pennsylvania follows AT&T and BlackRock recently closing their joint Gigapower joint venture. Gigapower will provide a fiber network to ISPs and other companies in parts of select metro areas throughout the country using a wholesale open-access platform. The presence of the new fiber option is critical for two communities experiencing growth. Wilkes-Barre is undergoing a significant revitalization, with a downtown workforce that is the fourth largest in the state. Likewise, Scranton is now home to a growing downtown business district, several higher education institutions, and a robust healthcare system. Besides Northeastern Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Gigapower now expects to expand beyond its previously announced fiber deployment in Mesa to the Chandler and Gilbert areas of Arizona. Gigapower also plans to build fiber in parts of Alabama and Florida outside AT&T’s current service area.
Sertex Broadband Solutions to Build Southeastern Vermont Community-Owned Fiber Network
Sertex Broadband Solutions was awarded the contract to construct the initial phase of a GPON FTTH network that will serve residents and businesses in 24 towns in southern Vermont. The Deerfield Valley Communication Union District, operating as DVFiber, awarded the contract to expand affordable 100 Mbps symmetrical internet service and VoIP services to nearly 5,000 locations, of which 4,290 are currently underserved or unserved. Under the agreement, Sertex will install more than 500 miles of fiber plant. Construction is scheduled to begin this month, including stringing aerial cable on utility poles and connecting properties to the backbone by installing cable drops from multiport service terminals to the exterior of unserved locations. A 36-month construction timeline is anticipated, with completion in early 2026. Two hundred and fourteen (214) Vermont towns are Communication Union Districts (CUDs) members, including more than 76 percent of the state’s population and 93 percent of premises without access to 25/3 Mbps service. Six of Vermont’s 10 CUDs are currently under construction.
Wecom Secures Strategic Investment from Searchlight Capital Partners
Wecom, an established Arizona-based ISP, will leverage a new strategic investment from Searchlight Capital Partners to expand broadband to unserved and underserved Arizona communities. This investment, with support from a minority investment by Simple Broadband, is expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of households and businesses and create hundreds of new jobs throughout the state. The company developed a fiber-to-the-home network to empower communities and connect businesses across the region. The State of Arizona has recognized Wecom for its efforts to improve the state’s digital infrastructure. In July 2022, Wecom was awarded a $10 million Arizona Broadband Development Grant to bring affordable broadband services to rural Mohave County. Wecom also received a U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect grants to bolster Wecom’s efforts to provide fiber services to hundreds of households in the Hualapai Nation.
Metronet Launches Service to Altamonte Springs Residents and Businesses
Metronet’s fiber internet service is now available to residents and businesses throughout Altamonte Springs. As Metronet’s service becomes available throughout the city, residents will have access to multi-gigabit speeds up to 2 Gbps; businesses may access rates up to 10 Gbps. Customers in Metronet’s initial construction areas may now sign up for service installation online at metronet.com. As Metronet continues construction throughout Altamonte Springs, residents in construction areas will receive 30 days’ advance notice by mail about construction activity in their neighborhood.
Tachus Fiber Internet Serves up Multi-Gig Speeds
Tachus Fiber Internet is now offering multi-gig Internet speeds in its under-construction network in Huffman, Humble and Huntsville, Texas and on its Advanced XGS-PON network in specific, purpose-built business parks in Conroe, Kingwood, Willis, and other areas. The provider offers residential customers a wide range of symmetrical speeds from 300 Mbps up to 5 Gbps. Business clients can choose from symmetrical bandwidths ranging from up to 10 Gbps. The Texas-based Internet provider is constructing a fiber-to-the-premises XGS-PON network that will serve residential and commercial customers in Huffman, Humble, and Huntsville and select business parks throughout its market in Atascocita, Conroe, Kingwood, and other areas. Construction began in early April 2023.
Comcast Lights 10G in Jacksonville, Fla.
Comcast recently announced that the latest Xfinity 10G Network upgrade is rolling out to customers in Jacksonville. Jacksonville is the newest community in Florida to roll out these network enhancements, setting the stage for introducing new symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet options that can be delivered across Comcast’s existing networks at less cost.
GCI Enables 2.5 Gbps to 80 Percent of Alaskans
GCI is now increasing its broadband speeds to 2.5 Gbps. The new rates are available in communities across the state: Anchorage, Eagle River, Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, Fort Greely, Fort Wainwright, Girdwood, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, North Pole, Palmer, Petersburg, Seward, Sitka, Soldotna, Unalaska, Valdez, Wasilla. Even the tiny remote town of Wrangell, Alaska, population 2,055, will have access to 2.5 Gbps speeds. The company plans to launch the service in two more communities, King Cove and Sand Point, by the end of 2023 through its Aleutians Fiber Project and nine other communities in the region in the coming years. GCI, in partnership with Bethel Native Corporation, also plans to bring the new service to 10 Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities as part of the AIRRAQ Network project.
LiveOak Fiber Completes Acquisition of Alma Telephone Company’s Fiber Assets in Glynn, Camden, Ga. Counties
LiveOak Fiber has wrapped its acquisition of the Glynn and Camden Counties fiber network assets from Alma Telephone Company (ATC) Broadband. The addition of ATC’s fiber network assets in these two counties allows LiveOak to bring its services to underserved areas of Golden Isles of Georgia’s Southeast coastline in Glynn and Camden County, Georgia, to bring benefit to residents and businesses. Residents and Businesses can expect packages that start at 500 Mbps and go up to 5 Gbps, including premium managed Wi-Fi with no contracts and no data caps.
Related: The Great Broadband Build
Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities and the host of the Broadband Ripple Podcast.
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