Hargray buys Electronet Broadband Communications for Florida fiber network expansion
Hargray Fiber has picked up where its Hargary parent left off after a busy 2019 with the announcement that it has acquired Electronet Broadband Communications of Tallahassee, FL. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase expands its footprint in Florida, coming almost a year to the day of its acquisition of Dark Fiber Systems, a dark fiber provider based in Jacksonville, FL (see “Hargray announces acquisition of Dark Fiber Systems”).
"On behalf of Hargray's nearly 800 colleagues, we are pleased to announce our acquisition of Electronet Broadband Communications and the continued expansion of our Florida operations,” commented Hargray Chairman and CEO Michael Gottdenker. “We are excited to have the opportunity to advance our purpose and bring Hargray's full suite of communications solutions, robust last-mile fiber connectivity, and our unmatched, superior customer service to businesses in Tallahassee.
"We are particularly excited to partner with Electronet's existing team, led by Paul Watts, who combined have decades of experience and relationships in Tallahassee and who share our passion for customer delight," Gottdenker added.
"We remain very committed to providing advanced broadband services to commercial businesses in the southeast,” commented Chris McCorkendale, senior vice president of Hargray Fiber. “With our entry into Tallahassee, we bring dedicated local service, superior support, and a commitment to the community. We plan to invest in the network and provide our full suite of communication products including enhanced data, voice, video, hosted unified communications, metro Ethernet, and multi-gigabit symmetrical circuits delivered exclusively over Hargray's 100% fiber-optic network."
Hargray operates through two primary divisions. Hargray Communications, based in Bluffton, SC, operates the company’s incumbent networks. Hargray Fiber, based in Savannah, GA, offers an array of services over a fiber footprint that stretches throughout the U.S. southeast. In addition to Dark Fiber Systems, Hargray purchased USA Communications’ assets in Alabama, Kings Bay Communications, Inc., and three colocation facilities in 2019.
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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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