Building Broadband: Comcast Invests $15M to expand Charlotte County, FL broadband network; Conexon Connect deepens its rural Florida broadband footprint
Comcast, Conexon, Lyte Fiber, Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), Metronet, Texas and United Communications are all expanding broadband in various communities through a mix of venture capital and state funding sources.
Comcast Invests $15M to expand Charlotte County, FL broadband network
Comcast is investing $15 million to build and expand broadband networks across Charlotte County, Florida. Thousands of homes and businesses in the Rotonda West, Gulf Cove, South Gulf Cove, Port Charlotte, and other neighborhoods will have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business services. Construction is ongoing and services will become available as projects are completed. Some areas, like Port Charlotte and Rotunda West, are serviceable now. The new network gives Charlotte County access to reliable and fast Internet speeds that outperform competitors — up to 1.2 Gbps for residential customers and up to 100 Gbps for businesses.
Conexon Connect expands its footprint across rural Florida
Conexon Connect, Conexon's ISP arm, in partnership with Madison-based Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), has completed its second broadband network in the state, delivering multi-gigabit FTTH access to 14,000 rural homes and businesses across Florida's Big Bend region. This project, announced in spring 2022, solidifies TCEC's place in Florida's history as the first electric cooperative to launch an FTTH network to serve its members.
Lyte Fiber invests $10M to build Marshall, Texas fiber network
Lyte Fiber has launched its fiber network in Marshall, Texas, via a $10 million investment. Its ringed fiber network architecture and backup power generation at all cabinets will ensure network resiliency and redundancy. Construction began in January, and the first customers will be online in the spring. Completion is expected before the end of the year. In this initial phase, Lyte will connect over 8,000 homes and businesses and plan to expand further across the region. Lyte is set to install over 120 miles of fiber cable across Marshall. Besides building fiber, Lyte is working with Marshall Economic Development and intends to establish a regional headquarters in Marshall to serve the surrounding communities better. This new office would generate local job opportunities, reinforcing the company's commitment to regional growth.
Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) awards $12.6M to enhance broadband in 96 Massachusetts cities and towns
The Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) recently awarded $12.6 million to expand internet in locations unserved and underserved by broadband in 96 cities and towns nationwide. MBI awarded the funds to two internet service providers, Comcast Cable Communications Management and Verizon New England, through the second round of the Broadband Infrastructure Gap Networks Grant Program, which deploys broadband infrastructure in areas that currently it. The grants were awarded to Comcast and Verizon, covering various towns and cities. Comcast secured $11.3 million, while Verizon was awarded $1.3 million.
Metronet lights up fiber for Round Lake, Illinois
Metronet unveiled a multimillion-dollar investment to build a fiber network in Round Lake, Illinois. Upon completion, the new fiber network will support internet speeds of up to 5 Gbps for residents and up to 10 Gbps for businesses. Construction is slated to begin soon, with the first customers expected to receive service by early summer.
Texas comptroller awards $700M for broadband projects
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today awards totaling $701.9 million for the second round of the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas Program (BOOT II), aimed at bridging the digital divide and enhancing broadband access for unserved and underserved communities across the state. This initiative, funded partly by the federal Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and supplemented by voter-approved state revenue, was established to connect over 95,000 unserved locations to broadband internet. Administered by the Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office (BDO), BOOT II is a competitive grant program designed to support countywide infrastructure projects that, when completed, will provide broadband service to homes and businesses currently lacking reliable internet access.
United Communications builds $16M fiber network for Wilson County, Tennessee
United Communications and Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) have completed the first phase of a $16 million fiber expansion effort in Wilson County. The project connects more than 10,000 new locations with 8 Gbps speeds—over 40 times faster than the average internet speed in Tennessee. This expansion includes approximately 2,000 locations that previously lacked access to broadband internet service. A partnership with Wilson County made expanding into many unserved locations possible. These projects were completed as part of Project UNITE, an initiative United Communications and MTE created to bring high-speed internet service to every home and business in Middle Tennessee through local partnerships and strategic grant funding.
Lightwave+BTR is tracking service providers' ongoing efforts to extend broadband to more homes and businesses via our Building Broadband series. If you want to share a new broadband build, contact Lightwave+BTR’s Editor in Chief Sean Buckley at [email protected].
Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.