RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch and Digital West rebrand as Astound Broadband
Regional cable MSOs RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch, and Digital West have rebranded under the name of their parent, Astound Broadband. Regional cable MSOs RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch, and Digital West have rebranded under the name of their parent, Astound Broadband. Together, the regional operations combine to compose the sixth largest cable MSO in the U.S., servicing eight of the top ten metro markets in the country.
In the cases of RCN, Grande, and Wave, customers will now see “Astound Broadband powered by X,” with X the former name of their provider. The business services arms of the regional providers will now roll under the name Astound Business Solutions. Other brands and assets that Astound owns, including recently acquired systems from Harris Broadband in Central Texas and WOW!’s Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland operations (see "WOW! closes sale of three service areas to Astound Broadband"), will see their brands change by the middle of this year, according to Astound.
“This is an exciting time for our company with our new name solidifying our commitment to ‘astound’ our customers each and every day through our national fiber-rich network, fast reliable service, mission-critical connectivity, and award-winning customer service,” said Jim Holanda, CEO of Astound Broadband. “Keeping ourselves grounded in our deep-rooted focus on customer service is at the core of what we do. We’ve been part of our local communities for years. Our dedicated teams will continue to serve the areas where they live and work.”
With the exception of Digital West, the various regional operators were brought together under the Astound Broadband name by TPG Capital through a series of acquisitions. TPG, alongside co-owners Patriot Media Management, then sold Astound to Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in November 2020 (see “Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners to buy Astound Broadband”). Wave purchased Digital West in early 2021 (see "Wave Broadband buys business fiber network services provider Digital West").
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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