General

UCL Swift Spring 2025 Quarterly Newsletter

From the desk of Brad Everette, General Manager, UCL Swift AmericasIt’s been an exciting season of growth here at UCL. Since moving into our new Texas space, the pace of progress has been incredible—we’re already reaching capacity faster than anticipated. This momentum is a testament to the hard work of our team and the trust of our partners and customers.As the industry continues to evolve, UCL is positioned at the forefront of innovation in connectivity and fiber technology. Our role is more critical than ever in driving future growth and helping shape the technological infrastructure of tomorrow. With demand continuing to rise, we’re ready for expansion to better serve our growing network and stay ahead of the curve.Learn More About Us HereUCL YouTube Channel Feature Check out the helpful resources on our YouTube Channel.The UCL Swift North America YouTube channel offers a comprehensive library of instructional videos designed to support technicians and integrators in the field.From fusion splicer setup and calibration to advanced troubleshooting and maintenance, our content provides step-by-step guidance to help you maximize performance and minimize downtime.Staff HighlightTom HallWith over 35 years of industry experience, Tom Hall brings deep expertise and a strong track record to UCL Swift.His career began as a Communications Specialist in the U.S. Army, followed by multiple civilian positions, including Maintenance Supervisor, Technical Trainer, Support Manager and Project Manager. This hands-on experience uniquely positions him to support UCL Swift's broadband growth strategy.Tom is adept at communicating how our fusion splicers, connectors, MSTs and cable can be seamlessly integrated into both greenfield and brownfield FTTH projects, delivering real value and performance to our partners.Hardened Fusion Splice-On ConnectorFully Compatible OptiTap® Style Hardened SolutionThe Swift HDC Connector provides the highest quality standards-based field-installable connector for hardened optical applications.This field-installable hardened solution is ideal for both new installations and repairs and eliminates inventoried products in warehouses and on tech vehicles, reducing SKUs and improving cash flow.

Apr 24, 2025

General

Broadband Bytes, April 2025 Issue 1

This edition of Broadband Bytes includes: Supreme Court hears USF, BEAD news reaches consumers, Former BEAD Director warns of shift from fiber focus,  So You Want BEAD to be Tech Neutral?, State legislators request status quo on BEAD, Tariff impact on BEAD?, Tariff impact on supply chain outside of BEAD, Analyzing Telecom’s workforce shrinkage by the numbers, Amazon LEO Sat Launch, Viewpoint: Why BEAD presents foundational questions for states and cities.Funding, Network Expansions, M&A: Starlink to Acquire Google Fiber, NY MIP $50M Grant Program, BAM Broadband CO Fiber Expansion, NOVOS Fiber $130M+ AZ Fiber Investment, Brightspeed goal 5 million connections, NC $22M ARPA Grants, Nextlink Fiber Expansion TX, TDS Fiber Expansion Grant County, WI.1. There’s Still Hope for the USF, but No Easy Fix. This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments about the Fifth Circuit's decision that the USF’s funding method is unconstitutional. While it’s by no means certain, New Street Research Policy Analyst Blair Levin said the current USF framework is “more likely than not to be upheld.” The bigger question is what happens next. Read more.2. BEAD News Reaches Consumers. Read more.3. Former BEAD Director Warns Against Straying from Fiber Focus. Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity will not offer the same price relief for consumers compared to fiber, according to Evan Feinman, the NTIA’s former director of the BEAD Program. Feinman warned that rural Americans would “get less and pay more” with satellite connectivity versus fiber. Additionally, he said the BEAD Program’s emphasis on state-crafted proposals has allowed states to decide the technology mixtures that best suit them, with factors like geography playing in. Read more4. Related to the Above: Article by Jessica Dine, a Policy Analyst at New America’s Open Technology Institute and Wireless Future Project, “So You Want BEAD to be Tech Neutral? BEAD Should Use All Technologies, but Not All Technologies Are Equal.” Talk about tech neutrality largely centers around the inclusion of two technologies that generally offer lower quality service than fiber home internet provides: fixed wireless broadband and LEO satellite service. These technologies typically cost less to deploy. But maximizing the utility of these funds means comparing more than upfront deployment costs. In the long run, it’s unclear how much money we would save by relying on satellite service in place of fiber—or if we would even save at all. A fiber connection has far more capacity and a useful life of several dozen years, while a LEO satellite’s lifespan is closer to five. Investing in fiber where it’s feasible might save replacement costs down the line. Read more.5. More Legislators Request Status Quo for BEAD. A group of bipartisan state legislators representing 28 states signed a letter asking U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to permit the NTIA to allow state BEAD plans and digital equity programs to proceed without delay. Any program changes should be optional rather than mandatory, the letter added, because mandatory changes could undo the signees’ BEAD and DE plans and delay broadband deployment by more than a year. Read more.6. Will Tariffs Impact BEAD Deployments? An Industry Expert’s Opinion. Thanks to BABA Act regulations, the new tariffs announced by President Trump are likely to have only a modest impact on broadband deployments associated with the BEAD Program. That’s according to Dr. Nathan Smith, the Director of Economics and Policy for Connected Nation. BEAD funds were already subject to BABA restrictions for most BEAD network components. “As a result, the additional impact of the new tariffs on BEAD costs is modest.” Smith, however, warned that indirect effects from the tariff announcements could still produce impacts (ie, on labor and capital). Read more.7. …But Outside of BEAD, Tariff Impact on the Telecom Supply Chain Could Be Worse. Trump’s new reciprocal tariffs on China, Vietnam and other countries will raise the price of telecom equipment, analysts said. “Tariffs will certainly raise the price of equipment needed for telecommunications,” said Jason Miller, professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University. The U.S. is “very reliant” on the imported goods needed for those systems to function. Read more. (ED Note: President Trump put a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs on April 9, 2025.)8. Analyzing Telecom’s Big Workforce Shrinkage. Fierce Broadband compiled and analyzed the employee, revenue and profit figures for eight operators. There didn’t appear to be a direct link between the financial metrics and employee count. Analysts said AI, automation and restructuring have had more of an impact on the telecom workforce. Read more.9. With all the talk about Starlink…Amazon’s Project Kuiper to Launch 27 Satellites April 9. April 9 is a launch day for Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet initiative. The company will conduct Kuiper Atlas 1 (KA-01), which is the deployment of 27 satellites 280 miles above Earth. Amazon says that Project Kuiper aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to “virtually any location on the planet.” KA-01 will be followed by about 80 launches that will carry more than 3,200 satellites into space. Read more.10. Viewpoint: Why BEAD Presents a Foundational Question for States and Cities. By Richard Watts, Chief Commercial Officer, International Fiber Alliance.  “If we are to treat broadband as essential infrastructure, then we must ensure that public BEAD investments result in long-term public value.” A smart model: Public ownership + private operation. Read more.FUNDING AWARDS, FIBER EXPANSIONS1. Starlink to Acquire Google Fiber in $22B Deal. SpaceX’s satellite broadband service Starlink, announced that it would acquire Alphabet’s Google Fiber for $22 billion. The deal is pending review by the FTC. Google Fiber will be renamed Fiber X, according to an announcement by Starlink. Read more2. New York Starts Next Phase of Broadband Grant Program, With $50M Available. The state of New York has launched the 4th phase of the New York Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) Request for Applications, which will provide nearly $50 million available to support broadband infrastructure projects across the state. Applications will be accepted through April 25.  The fourth phase of the program boosts the total funding to nearly $300M, using funds from the U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund. Read more3. BAM Broadband’s Fiber Network Expansion in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Will Continue Through 2025, reaching thousands of additional homes, businesses, and multi-dwelling units (MDUs). The project, which began in 2024, is part of BAM’s larger expansion efforts in Arizona and Colorado. Highlands Ranch, located in Douglas County, has a population of over 100,000. Read more.4. Novos Fiber & Prime Fiber Announce $130M+ Arizona Fiber Internet Investment. NOVOS Fiber announced its largest investment to date in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, where construction is underway. It is the sister arm to Prime Fiber, a wholesale open-access provider currently deploying fiber infrastructure in Florida. Both businesses are backed by InLight Capital, a private investment firm based in Sugar Land, Texas. Read more.5. Brightspeed Changes Goal, Aiming for Five Million Connections. Brightspeed has expanded its original goal to reach 4M homes and businesses, announcing its new corporate goal of 5M connections. The company announced that its network is now available to more than 2M of those potential customers. Along with its investment in its fiber network, Brightspeed has received more than $240 million in local, state and federal broadband grants and funding, including the company’s first BEAD Program award from the state of Louisiana. These investments will help expand Brightspeed’s planned network build by nearly 121,000 locations in 14 states. Read more6. North Carolina Announces $22 Million in Broadband Grant Awards. The money comes from the state’s Completing Access to Broadband program, funded by $400 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. The new projects are set to get broadband to 10,810 locations across 14 counties. Brightspeed will be serving the lion’s share of those locations—more than 8,300—with regional provider SkyBest securing 805 and a local electric cooperative scoring 576 locations. Read more.7. Nextlink has announced 4 fiber expansions in Texas this year. Nextlink Internet, with a headquarters in Hudson Oaks, has so far in 2025 announced construction that will reach nearly 10,000 locations. Read more8. TDS to Expand Fiber Network in Rural Grant County, Wisconsin. TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS®) has broken ground on a new fiber-optic infrastructure project to connect more than 1,200 rural Grant County, Wisconsin, addresses. TDS’ Farmer’s Telephone Company was awarded more than $1.55M by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in late 2023 to bring fiber-to-the-home connections to more than 800 Grant County addresses. TDS is investing $7.1M to complete the project and also reach approximately 400 additional addresses in the area. Read more.     Broadband Bytes is a regular feature by David Levine of UCL Swift. David is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, a certified BICSI RCDD,and a 35-year industry veteran in fiber and copper solutions.He currently works as a Business Development Manager for UCL Swift.

Apr 24, 2025

General

Broadband Bytes, March 2025 Issue 2

This edition of Broadband Bytes includes: Zayo to acquire Crown Castle’s Fiber Assets, FBA Guide to PON Splitting Architecture, FCC and regulations, Hyperscale Data Center Market, FCC moves to accelerate Copper Replacement, BEAD Implementation Status-States, States request defaulted RDOF funds, 2025 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card; Funding, Network Expansions, M&A: Hyperfiber CO Expansion, unWired CA Expansion, M&A Forecast 2025, AT&T eyes Luman Broadband Unit, Lumas expands fiber network into IN, T-Mobile Hometown Grants, Brightspeed OH Expansion, Ripple Fiber $140M Expansion MA, Blue Stream Fiber Sandoval Community FL.1. Zayo Eyes More AI Growth With $4.25B Crown Castle Deal. Zayo will acquire Crown Castle’s fiber assets, adding 90,000 route miles to its long-haul network. The company announced it will acquire Crown Castle’s fiber assets for $4.25 billion. Zayo will add to its network, connecting metro areas like New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Zayo intends to use Crown Castle’s assets to connect data centers across the country and provide enterprises with improved access to the networks. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Read more.2.FBA Releases Guide to Passive Optical Network Splitting. The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the release of its latest resource in its Fiber 101 Series, “Introduction to Passive Optical Network Splitter Architectures,” developed by the FBA Technology Committee. The purpose of the guide is to demystify the terminology, configurations and best practices associated with PON splitter deployment. The document explores how splitter architecture choices impact fiber counts, splicing and customer connections, and a more detailed analysis of centralized versus distributed splitting architectures. Read more.3. Eliminating Regulations. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has issued a Public Notice asking for public input on eliminating regulations that create unneeded burdens or that stand in the way of the deployment, expansion, competition or technological innovation. It’s worth noting that the FCC already routinely ignores obsolete regulations, as do all regulatory agencies. While it’s cleaner to get old regulations off the books, it’s nearly as effective to not enforce old rules that no longer apply. Read more.4. Hyperscale Data Center Count Hits 1,136; US Accounts for 54% of Total Capacity. New data from Synergy Research Group shows that the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers increased to 1,136 at the end of 2024, having doubled over the last five years. The US accounts for over half of the total worldwide capacity, measured by MW of critical IT load, with Europe and China each accounting for about a third of the balance. Looking ahead, Synergy forecasts that it will take less than four years for total hyperscale data center capacity to double once again. Read more.5. FCC Takes Actions to Accelerate Copper Replacement. Older copper lines were fine for typical telephony but are inadequate for modern high-speed communications demands—that was the reasoning behind FCC actions, which the regulator said are designed to help ensure that providers roll out upgraded, high-speed networks to more Americans on a faster timeline. Read more.6. States Approach Readiness for Broadband Rollout, but Federal Approvals Still Pending. BEAD Implementation Status in the States. A review of State Broadband Office web pages and guidance documents suggests the following classification of where states are currently in terms of BEAD implementation stage. Read more.7. Missouri May Not Be the Only State to Request Defaulted RDOF Funds. Missouri was the first state to ask the FCC to return RDOF broadband funding awarded to providers in the state who later defaulted on their awards. But it may not be the last. Every state experienced some level of defaults in the RDOF program, which tentatively awarded $9.2 billion to cover some of the costs of deploying broadband in unserved and underserved areas. Of the $9.2 billion, nearly $3.3 billion is in default. (States argue they could do a lot with their portion of the defaulted RDOF funds and are in a better position than federal administrators to determine how to use the defaulted funds.) Read more.8. US Just Got Its Best Infrastructure Report Card, but Work is Far From Over. In 1998, the American Society of Civil Engineers put out its first report card for US infrastructure and gave it a D. Little progress was made in the subsequent years until 2021, when ASCE handed out its first overall C- grade. On March 26, 2025, ASCE released its 2025 report card and gave out its most flattering grade yet, a C. Broadband made its debut as a graded category, earning a C+. Read moreFUNDING AWARDS, FIBER EXPANSIONS1. Construction of Fiber-Optic High-Speed Internet Networks in Two Colorado Communities Has Been Started by Missouri-Based Hyperfiber. The towns of Broomfield and Fort Lupton are the sites of the new fiber-optic network by Hyperfiber. The ISP has invested over $160 million into Colorado expansions to date. Hyperfiber hopes to achieve over 200,000 fiber passings in Colorado alone. Read more2. unWired Broadband to Bring Fiber to Gustine, California. unWired Broadband has begun construction on its new fiber internet network in Gustine, CA. This multi-million dollar project will deliver Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps and beyond to the entire City of Gustine, totaling nearly 2,500 addresses. Installations will begin in  April 2025, with construction slated to be completed in September 2025. Read more3. Is the Next Big Telecom M&A Deal on the Horizon? From Verizon’s $20 billion Frontier acquisition to T-Mobile’s fiber joint ventures with Lumos and Metronet, 2024 was quite the eventful year for telecom deals. Is more M&A on the horizon for 2025, and how will regulatory changes impact that activity? According to New Street Research, the biggest and most likely deal to surface this year is the sale of Lumen’s Mass Market business—its consumer fiber operation. Read more4. Reports: AT&T Eyeing Lumen’s Broadband Unit for $5.5B. AT&T is reportedly in talks to buy Lumen’s consumer fiber business for $5.5 billion, according to Bloomberg. While the extent of the deal is unclear at this time, the deal is the most likely telecom M&A deal on the horizon, according to a note from New Street Research. Read more.5. Lumos Expands Fiber Network into Indiana. Lumos announced its inaugural expansion into Indiana, bringing 100% Fiber Optic Internet to Clark and Floyd Counties. With this expansion, Lumos will build over 1,200 miles of 100% Fiber Optic Internet. Lumos’ fiber optic network will be available to over 81,000 addresses in the cities of Charlestown, Jeffersonville and New Albany and the towns of Sellersburg and Clarksville. Read more6. T-Mobile’s 25 New Hometown Grants Recipients to Receive Up to $50,000 Each. T-Mobile, as part of its Hometown Grants program, will be giving up to $50,000 to each of 25 recipients. The grants are being awarded to small towns and rural areas in support of local development projects intended to rejuvenate their communities. Since the start of the Hometown Grants program, T-Mobile has awarded more than $16 million in grants to 375 communities in 48 states and Puerto Rico. Read more7. Brightspeed Wins $1.5M from Ohio to Enlarge Trumbull Network. Service provider Brightspeed has been awarded $1.5 million to expand its fiber network to almost 2,400 locations in Trumbull County, Ohio. The provider now serves more than 190,000 families and businesses in Ohio. The Brightspeed award is in addition to the $12.3 million funding they received to connect almost 5,900 Ohio homes and businesses in Allen, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Knox, Mahoning, Shelby and Trumbull counties. Read more8. Ripple Fiber Invests Over $140 Million to Expand Fiber Internet Access in Massachusetts. Ripple Fiber, a fiber optic internet provider based in the Southeast, announces its plans to enter Massachusetts, marking the company’s network expansion into the Northeast. With plans to start construction this spring, beginning in Holden and West Boylston, the provider aims to begin launching service by mid-2025. The investment for the first phase of this project totals over $140 million. Read more9. California Opens Application Window to $1.86B in BEAD Funding. The state of CA is opening its BEAD application window beginning March 25 for prequalification and application submissions and ending on October 2 for submission of the final proposal to the NTIA. Read more10. Blue Stream Fiber Has Entered Into a Partnership With the Community of Sandoval in Cape Coral, Florida. The partnership, announced today on the ISP’s website, will bring Blue Stream’s fiber network to the community’s 1,425 residences. Residents can expect services to be activated by April 2026, according to Blue Stream. Read more.    Broadband Bytes is a regular feature by David Levine of UCL Swift. David is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, a certified BICSI RCDD,and a 35-year industry veteran in fiber and copper solutions.He currently works as a Business Development Manager for UCL Swift.

Apr 24, 2025

General

Broadband Bytes, March 2025 Issue 1

This edition of Broadband Bytes includes: Carr’s first 30 days at FCC, Congress lobbies to save USF, TX pauses Digital Equity Grants, OP-ED: Commerce may eliminate fiber preference in BEAD and some industry pushback, Broadband Usage Growth 4Q24, Best and worst states for fiber availability and Is Starlink’s new Residential Lite service a value?; Funding, Network Expansions, M&A: Surf Internet new fiber network IN, USDA $26M Community Connect Grant Funding 2025, IQ Fiber $50M+ Fiber expansion FL, Co-Ops have big role in AR Fiber expansion, Riverstreet Acquisitions growth in VA, Elevate acquires TDS assets in CO and Wire 3 $100M FL Fiber Expansion.1. Here’s what’s happened since Brendan Carr took over the FCC. Thus far in his first 30 days, Brendan Carr’s FCC agenda has been largely “down with DEI.” He’s already axed some prior FCC initiatives, like the proposal to ban bulk billing and efforts to combat digital discrimination. The FCC has also opened the doors for more spectrum allocation. Read more.2. Coalition lobbies Congress to save the Universal Service Fund. A coalition of organizations called the “Keep America Connected Coalition” has activated in an effort to save the Universal Service Fund. The USF funds E-Rate, allows rural health care providers to pay rates for telecommunications services similar to those in urban areas, assists low-income customers with telecommunications affordability, and provides support to certain qualifying telephone companies that serve high-cost areas. The coalition is lobbying lawmakers to enshrine the USF’s funding structure into law, hoping that if Congress legislates the fund, the USF’s constitutionality will be unquestionable. Read more.3. Texas pauses State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) announced that it has paused grants and contracts related to the federal State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. The announcement cited the “ongoing realignment to meet the priorities of the new administration” as the reason for the move. “Given this uncertainty, the BDO wants potential applicants to avoid investing significant time and resources into preparing applications until the office receives more clarity on the future of the program from the NTIA.” Read more.4.Op-Ed: BEAD may eliminate its preference for fiber. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Commerce Department’s new leader Howard Lutnick plans to eliminate the preference for fiber under the BEAD program. Rather, BEAD may switch to a “technology neutral” stance. This means that states can award more BEAD funds to satellite-internet providers like Starlink, as well as to more fixed wireless access providers, rather than mainly to companies that lay fiber-optic cables. (While this is another writer’s opinion piece, it covers points to consider re: BEAD, and remains to be seen what actual changes may or may not occur.) Read more.5. Related to above, fiber proponents push back. Gary Bolton, the CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association says if the U.S. was able to string electricity to almost every household in the early part of the last century, surely we’re capable of bringing fiber broadband to rural households now. Drew Garner, Director of Policy Engagement at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, said if Commerce Department moves forward with changes, it could further delay the deployment of broadband internet by a year or more because states will be required to re-run their grant programs. Read more6. Broadband usage Q4 2024. OpenVault recently published its Broadband Insights Report for the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. OpenVault is documenting the continued growth in broadband usage by U.S. households. Details on the growth can be found here. Read more.7. States show vast differences in fiber availability including top 10 states and worst 10 states. A new report from Reviews.org shows that Rhode Island is the best state for fiber availability, with the technology available to 80.19% of households. Conversely, the worst state is Alaska, with the technology available to only 9.18% of households. The information is based on data contained in the FCC National Broadband Map. The report also notes that 46% of American homes have access to fiber, compared to 82% that have access to cable internet. Read more8. Is Starlink’s new affordable broadband plan a gamechanger? SpaceX’s Starlink has entered into the affordable broadband market in the US, with the launch of its “Residential Lite” service in 15 U.S. states. While it’s cheaper than Starlink’s standard residential plan, the move is hardly a game changer for rural broadband connectivity. Residential Lite costs $80 per month (compared to the $120/month residential plan), with speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps. So it’s not as fast as the standard plan which offers 150-250 Mbps speeds. Notably, Starlink said Residential Lite service will be “deprioritized” during peak hours. This means customers on the lower-cost plan may experience slower service compared to Residential subscribers when the Starlink network has a lot of users online. Though Residential Lite is marketed as a more affordable Starlink option, “no matter how you look at it $80 is still a high price,” said Recon Analytics principal Roger Entner. Read moreFUNDING AWARDS, FIBER EXPANSIONS1. Surf Internet has completed the first phase of a fiber-optic build in Warsaw, Indiana. Surf Internet has announced the launching of a fiber-internet network in Warsaw, Indiana. The ISP, which also this month secured $175 million in new equity funding and an upsized $300 million debt facility, said work in Warsaw is part of a $4.1 million investment. “The first phase of construction is complete, making fiber internet available to 345 addresses.” Eventually, Surf plans to build out access to over 3,500 locations in Warsaw, and in the nearby community of Winona Lake. Read more.2. Community Connect Grant Program Issues NOFO for 2025. The USDA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Connect Grant Program for fiscal year 2025. The USDA’s estimates that approximately $26 million in grants will be available to eligible applicants this year. The Community Connect Grant Program offers financial support to qualified applicants that will deliver broadband services at or above the grant’s specified speed to all premises in rural, economically challenged communities that lack internet access. Read more.3. IQ Fiber, a Jacksonville, Florida, based provider of fiber-optic internet service, announced network expansion into the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. IQ Fiber’s initial investment in St. Petersburg is estimated at nearly $50 million, with further expansion planned. The company will establish a local office in St. Petersburg and expects to hire 30 to 35 local employees. Construction of the St. Petersburg and Pinellas County area network will begin this month and customers are expected to begin coming online in late 2025. Read more.4. Cooperatives playing major role in Arkansas’ ARPA-fueled fiber expansion. The Arkansas State Broadband Office—ARConnect—say they’ve now awarded more than $534 million in grants that will expand access to 130,000 locations in total, with most of the projects completed by 2030. Including matching funds, $1 billion is expected to be invested in total, bringing notable improvements to an estimated 875,000 Arkansas residents. While regional telecom monopolies saw their fair share of awards, smaller telecoms and cooperatives have been well represented in the state’s grant awards. Read more.5. RiverStreet buys two TDS Telecom properties and a Citizens Cablevision market area. RiverStreet acquired Amelia Telephone Corporation and New Castle Telephone Company from TDS Telecom. As part of the acquisition, RiverStreet also obtained the New Castle, Virginia market area from Citizens Cablevision, a subsidiary of Citizens Telephone Cooperative’s cable operations. Read more.6. Elevate to acquire TDS Telecom assets in Delta County, Colorado. Elevate, a fiber-based service provider in Delta and Montrose counties, Colorado, has signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire TDS Telecom’s operations and assets in the counties. Elevate is a subsidiary of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA). The assets it is acquiring serve more than 16,000 subscribers. The infrastructure includes “a collection of wireline assets, involving a combination of copper and fiber.” Read more7. Wire 3 announces $100M expansion in Lake County, Florida. Wire 3 announced its plans to bring 100% fiber optic internet service to four Lake County Florida communities through a privately-funded $100 million dollar investment in Eustis, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Tavares. Wire 3’s two-year construction process is expected to begin this spring with the first homes and businesses connected as early as summer of 2025. Read more.    Broadband Bytes is a regular feature by David Levine of UCL Swift. David is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, a certified BICSI RCDD,and a 35-year industry veteran in fiber and copper solutions.He currently works as a Business Development Manager for UCL Swift.

Apr 24, 2025

General

Broadband Bytes, February 2025 Issue 2

This edition of Broadband Bytes includes: More RDOF Defaults, Bill to Address Permitting Delays, White House Tightens Grip on FCC, More State Low Cost Broadband Mandates?, BEAD Can Cover “All” of VT, TIA Calls for Tax Exemptions on BEAD Grants, ACP Study: Benefits Exceed Costs, Senate to Overturn FCC WiFi Hotspot Rule? Funding, Network Expansions, M&A:  Twelve MS BEAM Projects, Lumos Expands Into FL, Brightspeed IN Fiber Expansion, Lightpath Fiber Phoenix AI Initiative, $300B in M&A Available?, TDS Fiber Plans and Sparklight Fiber Expansion TX.1. RDOF Defaults Keep Coming; “Penny Wise, Pound Foolish.” Approximately two years ago, over a third of the $9.2 billion in winning bids in the RDOF program were rejected after the FCC reviewed winning bidders’ long-form applications. And the tally of RDOF defaults is not yet complete. A report from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society found that bids associated with nearly $112.8 million in additional RDOF funding are in default. The additional defaults represent nearly 1.9 million locations that had been expected to receive service. Read more2. Lawmakers Renew Bill to Address Permitting Delays on Federal Lands. House lawmakers reintroduced bipartisan legislation Thursday to address a significant barrier delaying broadband expansion: permitting delays on federal lands. The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act, revived by Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Darren Soto, D-Fla., would require the NTIA to submit a plan to Congress within 180 days outlining how it will track and expedite broadband permitting applications on public and National Forest System lands. Read more3. Trump Order Aims to Tighten White House Grip on FCC, Other Agencies. “So-called independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have exercised enormous power over the American people without Presidential oversight,” the White house said. Under the executive order, the FCC is required to submit “draft regulations for White House review—with no carve-out for so-called independent agencies, except for the monetary policy functions of the Federal Reserve; and consult with the White House on their priorities and strategic plans, and the White House will set their performance standards.” Read more4. More States Considering Low Broadband Prices. Now that New York’s Affordable Broadband Act has gone into effect, other states are looking to mandate low broadband rates for low-income households. The New York law went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the case.  Twenty-two states filed a brief in support of New York when the issue was being considered by the Supreme Court. The petition supported the concept that States have the right to set broadband rates when the FCC and the federal government decide not to do so. Read more.5. BEAD Can “Nearly Complete” Vermont Broadband Buildout. Preliminary applications from Vermont broadband service providers (BSPs) for funding by the BEAD Program could serve virtually every eligible address in the state, according to the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB). VT-BEAD said that eligible locations receive 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload or slower speeds. All of these areas got at least one preliminary application. 95% of the preliminary applications involved fiber. In all, nine BSPs submitted preliminary applications. Read more6. TIA Calls for Tax Exemption for BEAD Grants. The Telecommunications Industry Association urged the Trump Administration to work with Congress to exclude certain broadband grants from federal corporate income taxes in a letter congratulating Howard Lutnick on his Senate confirmation as Secretary of Commerce. Broadband grants are currently subject to the 21% federal corporate income tax, which some experts have argued dissuades ISPs from participating. Read more7. Resurrecting ACP Would Have Significant Benefits. Reinstating the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) could have significant benefits in several areas, according to a study by The Brattle Group. The study says that healthcare savings alone would quadruple the annual cost of the ACP program, which the study pegs at $7.3 billion. In addition to healthcare, significant benefits would be gained in education and the labor market. The program connected more than 23 million households to the Internet before ending due to lack of funding last May. Read more8. Thune: Expect Senate Resolution Overturning FCC’s Wi-Fi Hotspot Rules. Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans for the chamber to vote next week on a resolution repealing a Biden-era program expanding internet access for students. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the Congressional Review Act resolution in late January, along with 12 other Senate Republicans, to nullify the June 2024 order passed under former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The order allowed schools and libraries to use E-Rate funds to lend Wi-Fi hotspots for off-campus use. Read moreFUNDING AWARDS, FIBER EXPANSIONS1. Funding Approved for Twelve Mississippi Broadband Projects. Mississippi’s Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) recently gave the go-ahead for a dozen broadband infrastructure projects, with the projected $32.5 million cost to be funded by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Among the awardees are TEC, CSpire and Swyft Fiber, Bruce Telephone, TVI Fiber and WeConnect Communications. Read more2. Lumos Announces Entrance Into Florida Market. More than 30 communities will gain access to a new network to be constructed by Lumos in Florida. When construction is complete, over 500,000 homes and businesses will be passed by the network, and it will involve over 7,500 miles of fiber. The announcement is the latest in a string of expansions to new markets by Lumos. Recently, the ISP has also announced expansions into marketplaces in Alabama and Illinois. Read more3. Brightspeed, a North Carolina-based ISP, is Ready to Connect 60,000 Locations Across 30 Communities in Indiana. Over 60,000 locations across Indiana are due to be connected to Brightspeed’s fiber-optic network. The work is continuing throughout 30 communities in the state, with new locations coming online daily. In total, Brightspeed hopes to reach approximately 126,000 families in Indiana once construction is completed. Read more4. Lightpath Brings “AI-Grade Fiber” to Phoenix, Arizona. Lightpath is bringing its fiber connectivity to the Phoenix, AZ market with a planned 230-mile route in the region, which the company says will be anchored by hyperscale customers. The build-out is designed to meet the area’s needs, with hyperscalers planning for AI-related initiatives. Data centers will be the predominant customers of the Lightpath buildout in Phoenix, with eight carrier hotels and data centers to be connected during the initial buildout and more than 30 other data centers near the planned routes. Read more5. $300B in Private Equity Available for Investment: Deloitte Telecom M&A Report. Private buyers were involved in more than 80% of global telecom M&A deals in the first half of 2024, up from just over 60% in 2021, according to Deloitte. Globally, the value of PE-backed telecom deals was $28 billion in 2021 and $20 billion in 2022. Rising interest rates caused a slowdown in the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024. But Deloitte saw a rebound in the second half of 2024, when the value of PE-backed telecom deals was $11 billion. Read more6. TDS Telecom Updates Long-Term Fiber Plans. TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS®) released its updated fiber program goals during its fourth-quarter earnings report. The telecommunications company is now targeting 1.8 million marketable fiber service addresses, which is a 50% increase from the company’s previous long-term goal. TDS ended the year with 928,000 total fiber service addresses. Read more7. Sparklight Brings Fiber Internet to White Oak, Texas. Sparklight, a broadband communications provider, is bringing next-generation connectivity to White Oak, TX, with the construction of a new fiber-optic network. Construction on the fiber network began in August 2024 and is expected to be completed by late 2025.   Once finished, the network will connect more than 2,500 White Oak homes and businesses. Read more    Broadband Bytes is a regular feature by David Levine of UCL Swift. David is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, a certified BICSI RCDD,and a 35-year industry veteran in fiber and copper solutions.He currently works as a Business Development Manager for UCL Swift.

Mar 14, 2025

General

Broadband Bytes, February 2025 Issue 1

This edition of Broadband Bytes includes: Arielle Roth named to head NTIA, Lutnick advances through Committee vote for Commerce, FBA Fiber Survey results, Fiber deployment cost slowdown? Red states and satellites, Red states caution on pause in BEAD, SCOTUS USF hearing March 26. Funding, Network Expansions, M&A: AI drives fiber plans for Zayo, Dobson Fiber expands in OK, Gateway Fiber and WANRack to merge, Glo Fiber Lancaster OH, Lumos Fiber Birmingham, AL, Metronet Elwood, IN, AFN completes AL Middle Mile and 360 Broadband $52M Grant TX.1. Arielle Roth, Policy Director for U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Selected to Lead NTIA. Arielle Roth was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the NTIA. Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA oversees the $42 billion BEAD Program.  Roth currently serves as Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. She also has served in various roles at the FCC and as a Legal Fellow with the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet, where she concentrated on federal telecommunications law and policy. Read more.2. Senate Committee Votes to Advance Commerce Nominee Howard Lutnick, Where Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz Says He is “Certain There Will Be” Changes to BEAD. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 16-12 on Wednesday to advance Howard Lutnick’s nomination for Secretary of Commerce. If confirmed by the full Senate, Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will lead the agency responsible for key tech and telecom programs, including the $42.5 billion BEAD Program. Read more3. The Fiber Broadband Association Announced the Results of a Fiber Deployment Survey From RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting in January 2025. The survey was for the year ending in September 2024. ISPs built fiber to pass 10.3 million homes in the last year, a new all-time high. RVA estimates that fiber now passes 56.5% of U.S. homes. The remaining fiber market is still immense, with almost 149 million homes that don’t have fiber. Read more.4. Fiber Deployment Costs May See Slight Slowdown. Industry experts predict price stabilization with federal broadband funding scheduled to begin. While underground fiber deployment costs surged by 12% in 2024, aerial deployments saw only minor cost increases, and industry experts believe the worst of the inflationary squeeze on fiber projects may be over, according to the 2024 Fiber Deployment Cost Annual Report. The median cost of underground fiber deployment climbed to $18.25 per foot, up from $16.25 per foot in 2023, while aerial fiber deployment remained relatively flat at $6.55 per foot. Labor remained the dominant expense in fiber projects, accounting for 60 to 80% of total deployment costs. Read more.5. Some Red States Don’t Want Too Much Satellite for BEAD. Republican leadership in the Senate has assailed the Commerce Department’s flagship broadband subsidy’s preference for fiber, citing high per-location costs. Yet officials from some red states aren’t sold on shifting the scales too far in one direction.  “We’re hoping the administration’s change is not just ‘Let’s give it all to satellite and then the problem’s over,’” said Misty Ann Giles, head of Montana’s broadband office. “Satellite is fantastic, I know a lot of people that love it in Montana. But have you ever looked at the price tag? Most folks can’t afford it.” Read more6. Some Republican Senators Don’t Want to See a Pause in the BEAD Program. Howard Lutnick, who is on track to become Secretary of Commerce, has supplied some answers to questions from Senators regarding his stance on the BEAD program. The answers show that Lutnick is keeping his cards close to his chest. But perhaps more interesting is the fact that even some Republican Senators expressed concern about slowing down the BEAD program. Read more.7. Supreme Court Will Hear Universal Service Case on March 26. Read more.FUNDING AWARDS, FIBER EXPANSIONS1. Zayo unveiled plans to build 5,000 new route miles in the next five years to support AI and data center activity. Bill Long, Zayo’s chief product officer, told Fierce that in the past, Zayo’s average long-haul order ranged from 8 to 12 fibers. That all changed 12-18 months ago when customers started requesting counts from 144 to 432 fibers. Read more.2. Dobson Fiber has broken ground on network construction in Okmulgee, a community in Oklahoma’s Tusla metro area.  Construction on the network in Okmulgee, which has under 12,000 residents, will be completed in phase. Currently, Dobson Fiber serves nearly 40 communities in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Read more.3. Gateway Fiber and WANRack to merge. Gateway Fiber and WANRack, which both are majority owned by a CBRE Investment Management Fund, are merging. Fiber-to-the-premises developer and operator Gateway Fiber is based in St. Louis. It was founded in 2019 and serves residential and businesses in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Missouri. WANRack, which was founded in 2013, serves school districts and libraries through an E-Rate program and business and residential customers in eastern Kansas through its KWIKOM subsidiary. The press release says that, together, Gateway Fiber and WANRack will offer a FTTX platform and operate across 25 states. Read more.4. Shentel’s Glo Fiber has begun construction on a network that will reach approximately 10,000 additional locations in Lancaster, Ohio. Glo Fiber was previously known as Horizon Telecom before rebranding last year. The provider was acquired by the Shenandoah Telecommunications Company in 2024. Construction on the network is expected to finish in the second half of 2025. Read more.5. Lumos announces major fiber-internet expansion in Birmingham, AL. Communities in the Birmingham metro area will soon have a new fiber-optic internet provider on the block. The news broke this week when Lumos Fiber, a provider that serves customers across Virginia and the Carolinas, announced plans to lay 1,300 miles of fiber to reach “underserved communities and families throughout the Birmingham Metro.” The ISP announced that construction will begin soon on the network, with engineering work already underway. Read more.6. A private, fully funded multimillion-dollar investment will fuel Metronet’s fiber internet expansion into Elwood, Indiana. Thousands of homes and businesses in the community of Elwood, Indiana will soon gain access to Metronet’s fiber-optic internet network. The expansion effort was fully funded and backed by private investment. According to Metronet, the first customers in Elwood, a city of less than 10,000 residents in Central Indiana, will gain access this spring. Read more.7. Alabama fiber network completes middle-mile construction. This month, AFN can provide service to 60 counties with 3,406 active miles of the network. This phase of the network nearly fulfills the $82.5 million middle-mile grant from the state’s allocation of ARPA funds. The organization also received two additional grants to support the connection of community anchor institutions, further expanding the depth and breadth of the network. Although AFN does not serve end-users per se, the state-of-the-art network provides access points in each county that community anchor institutions, last-mile and wireless providers utilize for connectivity. Read more.8. 360 Broadband wins $52 million grant to connect Fannin County, TX. More than $52.1 million has been awarded to 360 Broadband to help fund a project that will connect thousands of locations across Fannin County, Texas. The money, awarded by the Texas Broadband Development Office’s Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) II Program, will go towards a $65 million project to bring high-speed fiber to 4,355 locations in the county. The project is part of 360 Broadband’s larger effort to provide access to 12,000 locations in Fannin County, located in North Texas along the border with Oklahoma. Read more.    Broadband Bytes is a regular feature by David Levine of UCL Swift. David is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, a certified BICSI RCDD,and a 35-year industry veteran in fiber and copper solutions.He currently works as a Business Development Manager for UCL Swift.

Feb 25, 2025