Building Broadband: 360 Broadband deepens Oklahoma presence; Accelecom and Quad State Internet expand broadband in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois

360 Broadband connects previously unreachable Oklahoma locations with FWA connectivity
360 Broadband and Tarana have connected more than 1,600 homes and businesses with high-speed internet — a few hundred new locations they couldn’t serve with legacy fixed wireless equipment. Earlier this year, they highlighted Tarana ngFWA’s capabilities in a brief demo video. 

Accelecom and Quad State Internet expand broadband in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois
Accelecom has established network interconnectivity with Quad State Internet, a locally owned ISP based in Paducah, KY. The collaboration will enhance the connectivity options for companies and their customers while improving high-speed internet services in Paducah, KY, and Metropolis, IL. This interconnection strengthens Quad State Internet by providing geographically diverse routes to the global Internet. It also enhances regional network resiliency and reliability by offering direct access to Accelecom's robust fiber and IP network. The partnership supports seamless transport to the Paducah Internet Exchange (PIE), sponsored by Quad State Internet, enabling direct peering for ISPs, enterprises, and carriers.

Bluepeak advances Denison, Texas fiber broadband expansion
Bluepeak has launched presales for its fiber network in Denison, Texas, marking its first Lone Star State market. With construction underway, Bluepeak expects to connect its first customers in January, delivering high-speed fiber internet to homes and businesses across the city. As part of Bluepeak’s broader investment in fiber infrastructure across Oklahoma and Texas, the network will provide up to 5 Gbps for homes and up to 10 Gbps for businesses, addressing growing demands for advanced broadband solutions in communities like Denison.

Comcast extends broadband network to 10K Radford, VA locations
Comcast began construction to connect almost 10,000 new homes and businesses in Radford, VA, to symmetrical Internet. The first homes and businesses will be connected to Xfinity and Comcast Business products and services in early 2025.

Comcast’s expansion to Radford is part of the company’s latest investment in Virginia, including:

• Lynchburg, VA: Comcast is expanding its network to 12,000 additional homes and businesses across the Lynchburg area. As part of this project, 2,100 homes and businesses in the City of Lynchburg will be fully connected by the end of the year, and construction is underway on 3,200 homes and businesses in Forest, with services already available to some residents.
• Christiansburg, VA: Xfinity and Comcast Business services are available to more than 13,700 homes and businesses in Christiansburg.

• Strasburg, VA: Xfinity and Comcast Business services are available to more than 3,300 homes and businesses in Strasburg.

Comporium lights multi-gigabit broadband for 1,400 Midlands, North Carolina locations
More than 1,400 homes and businesses in Lexington and Aiken Counties have gained access to Comporium's fiber-based multi-gigabit internet service. Over the past few months, Comporium placed nearly 156 miles of fiber-optic network to reach rural addresses near Swansea, Pelion, and Thor in Lexington County and Perry in Aiken County. These projects, requiring almost $7.3 million in investment to extend the company’s fiber network, provide customers with internet speeds of up to 5 Gbps.

Comporium combined its private investment and state-issued funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was made possible by funding from the South Carolina Broadband Office. This joint funding approach ensures the company reaches the maximum number of addresses possible with its state-of-the-art network. Comporium continues to work with state and federal agencies to find ways to extend or upgrade service to more rural customers. In coordination with the towns of Swansea and Pelion, Comporium added public Wi-Fi hotspots to two local parks as a part of this project. Public Wi-Fi was added to L. O. Rast Park in Swansea in November. The company is working with the town of Pelion to add Wi-Fi to its Pelion Walking Park.

Lumos makes $246M fiber investment in Illinois
Lumos announced a $246 million investment in its inaugural expansion for homes and businesses in DuPage and Cook County, Illinois. Engineering work for this new investment is underway. It will meet the growing digital demand for families and businesses with life-changing speeds and reliable service.

Lumos’ fiber internet service will be available in the following communities:

·       DuPage County: City of Naperville, Village of Bolingbrook, Village of Woodridge, Village of Lisle, City of Wheaton, City of West Chicago, Village of Winfield, Village of Glen Ellyn, Village of Carol Stream, Village of Glendale Heights, Village of Addison, Village of Wayne, Village of Bloomingdale, Village of Hanover Park, Village of Itasca, Village of Roselle.

·       Cook County: Village of Elk Grove Village, Village of Hanover Park, Village of Hoffman Estates, Village of Roselle, Village of Schaumburg.

Summit Broadband secures $100M for Florida expansion
Summit Broadband has closed an additional $100 million from Brookfield Asset Management to fund its expansion in Florida. Backed by financial sponsor Grain Management, the company is committed to enhancing service for existing customers while expanding its residential and commercial fiber network footprint. Grain hired industry veteran Kurt Van Wagenen as CEO in 2023. Under Wagenen's leadership, Summit Broadband has invested in expanding its leadership team, upgrading its 5,000 route-mile fiber network, enhancing the customer experience, and rolling out new products. The additional funding will allow the Company to accelerate growth in both Summit Broadband's established residential and expanding commercial segments.

Ubiquity raises $400M to expand open Open-Access fiber networks
Ubiquity has secured $420 million in green construction financing facilities, with proceeds used to expand deployment of last-mile open-access fiber networks across its core markets in Texas, California, Arizona, and Nebraska. This financing milestone was achieved through the closing of the Company's $275 million Green Construction Credit Facility led by Goldman Sachs and Nomura, alongside a successful upsize to $145 million of the Company's existing Green Revolving Credit Facility led by Woodforest National Bank and a consortium of syndicate lenders. Proceeds from both facilities complement equity from existing sponsors, Generate Capital PBC and 1248 Holdings. Ubiquity's national fiber footprint has been further strengthened via its recently announced third-party agreement with AT&T, which includes opportunities to add AT&T as a second tenant on Ubiquity's existing networks and execute exclusive greenfield builds in new markets.

unWired Broadband cuts ribbon on new Isleton, CA wireless tower
unWired Broadband completed the build out of a new wireless tower in Isleton, CA. This new tower is equipped with fixed wireless technology from Tarana Wireless.

Numerous organizations joined unWired and Tarana, including the City of Isleton, Sacramento County, Valley Vision, The Office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui, California Emerging Technology Fund, Delta Protection Commission, and the California Public Utilities Commission.