Canadian rural broadband provider Xplornet Communications Inc. says it has acquired Ocdotus Inc., which operates as fiber-based service provider Metro Loop in southern Ontario. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Metro Loop provides fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) based broadband services in Hamilton and Haldimand County. Metro Loop's employees, including its president, Jake Vandendool, will join Xplornet.
The acquisition complements Xplornet’s fiber deployments in eastern Ontario (see "Xplornet plans fiber-optic network build in rural parts of Eastern Ontario") as well as in Grey County and Bruce County. "With this acquisition, Xplornet is putting a strong focus on deploying fiber in rural Ontario," said Bill Macdonald, executive vice president of business development at Xplornet. "We are eager to combine Metro Loop's energy and entrepreneurial spirit with Xplornet's drive to accelerate fiber deployments across Canada."
"We're proud of what we've built at Metro Loop," added Vandendool. "Xplornet will continue to build on our legacy and push the buildout of cutting-edge fibre networks further and faster into rural Ontario
Xplornet also has pledged to spend more than $500 million on its national broadband network to deliver 5G services to rural Canadians. The company this past March announced that it would sell a controlling interest to Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners (see "Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners to acquire controlling stake in Canada’s Xplornet Communications").
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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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