FirstLight Fiber to buy assets of KINBER research and education network
Business and wholesale fiber network services provider FirstLight says it has agreed to buy substantially all of the assets, including the PennREN research and education fiber network and related customer contracts, of the Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER). In addition to serving KINBER’s clients, FirstLight plans to use the fiber network infrastructure to supply broadband services in Pennsylvania.
Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, were not disclosed.
KINBER provides network-based connectivity and services to more than 135 organizations and programming to many more, including higher education, K-12, health care, communities, libraries, public media, museums, government, and nonprofit organizations. It also serves commercial organizations consistent with its mission. PennREN stretches more than 1800 miles across Pennsylvania. "Over the past 10 years, KINBER has become the premier research and education fiber network that delivers connectivity to underserved and unserved areas of Pennsylvania," said KINBER President and CEO Nathan Flood. "Through our 1,800-route-mile network across 47 counties, KINBER has been able to provide the critical infrastructure to research, education and community institutions. As we look toward the next chapter, we're excited to see the expansion and growth opportunities that FirstLight will create."
"Acquiring the KINBER network is very exciting for FirstLight,” added Kurt Van Wagenen, president and CEO of FirstLight Fiber. “It builds upon our recent expansion in the eastern part of the state and will enable us to offer fiber-based broadband services to more organizations throughout the commonwealth. We are impressed with what KINBER has been able to accomplish since its inception and hope to build upon its achievements by continuing to ensure that more areas in Pennsylvania have the broadband connectivity needed to thrive in the digital age."
FirstLight’s Pennsylvania expansion adds more than 1,000 route miles to its fiber-optic network in the eastern part of the state. The new fiber will run through Allentown, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Scranton, Reading, and Wilkes-Barre (see “FirstLight launches Pennsylvania fiber network expansion”).
For related articles, visit the Business Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
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.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.