Building Broadband: Breezeline targets Laconia, NH; Comcast actives Citrus County, FL broadband network

Breezeline targets Laconia, NH, with fiber broadband service
Starting in July, Breezeline will provide homes and businesses in Laconia, New Hampshire, with fiber internet access. The launch of FTTH in Laconia is just the start of a more comprehensive network upgrade operation across Breezeline’s operating footprint, encompassing thirteen East and Midwest states. Breezeline has also invested in its hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network throughout the region, bringing fiber deeper into each neighborhood and reducing the number of customers served by each fiber node. Besides internet and Wi-Fi, Breezeline offers cloud-based Stream TV, allowing customers to access live and recorded programs on TV and mobile devices in and outside the home. Breezeline has also introduced Breezeline Mobile, which provides reliable, nationwide mobile coverage with unlimited talk & text and Unlimited and By-the-Gig data plans. 

Comcast activates $8M fiber network in Citrus County, FL
Comcast has invested $8 million in parts of four Citrus County, Florida communities to connect homes and businesses to new high-speed connectivity options. Thousands of homes and businesses in Inverness, Hernando, Floral City and Beverly Hills can now access Xfinity and Comcast Business services. These Citrus County communities will be able to get access to 1.2 Gbps for residential customers and up to 100 Gbps for businesses.

Greenlight fiber broadband coming to North Buffalo, NY, this fall
North Buffalo residents will gain access to Greenlight Networks’ fiber internet service this fall. Initial construction is underway in North Buffalo, and more than 2,600 homes are expected to have service for the first time by September. Greenlight Networks currently services East and West Buffalo, Cheektowaga, North Tonawanda and the Village of Lancaster. The company said it is on track to have more than 30,000 homes in Erie County connected to its high-speed fiber network by the end of 2024 and currently connects more than 175,000 homes across New York State.  

Highline Internet brings fiber internet to underserved Watersmeet Township, MI
Highline Internet has made its high-speed fiber internet available to over 1,200 residents in Watersmeet Township, MI, many of which are serviceable now. This expansion aims to bridge the digital divide and provide the community with reliable, lightning-fast internet connectivity. On May 28th, Highline hosted a community meeting with a turnout of over 60 residents. 

Hilliary Communications broadens fiber reach in Elgin, Oklahoma
Over 340 homes in Elgin, Oklahoma, will soon be eligible to access fiber-to-the-home internet as Hilliary Communications announced plans to broaden its services across the community. The southwest Oklahoma-based company will soon begin constructing new fiber internet infrastructure in Elgin. Interested customers should contact Hilliary Communications at (580) 529-5000 or hillcom.net. Hilliary Communications plans to deliver fiber internet service to homes in nine Elgin neighborhoods, including Cedar Creek, Hillard Estates, Legacy Creek Estates, Mountain View Villas, Seaside, Shadow Ridge, Shadow Ridge East, Stoneridge, and Yorktown Estates.

Kinetic secures $4.5M from NC to extend service to unserved areas
Kinetic has been awarded a $4.4 million grant from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) to bring fiber internet to unserved areas in two counties. The service provider will invest $1.9 million of private capital in this fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project and cover any cost overruns. This grant will enable Kinetic to expand its fiber network in Cabarrus and Union counties by 2026, bringing gigabit internet speeds to 1,392 previously unserved locations. The service provider has installed 125 new fiber optic lines to join 8,759 miles of NC-based Kinetic fiber.

PomeGran’s $172M FTTH project targets Northern Ontario rural and Indigenous communities
Through its subsidiary ROCK Networks, PomeGran, a Canadian-based rural broadband provider, has received $97 million in federal and provincial government funding to build new fiber broadband infrastructure in rural and Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario. The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Canada's Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, together with Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure and Member of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies and the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, for the Government of Ontario, announced the investment today.

Building on this support, PomeGran is set to embark on a significant new project to construct and operate an end-to-end fiber network that will deliver speeds up to 25 Gbps using XGS-PON and 25G PON technology to 18,663 underserved households, including 2,580 Indigenous households in the Huron Shore and Manitoulin Island region. This initiative will connect areas along Hwy 17 from Lively to Garden River, including Elliot Lake, St. Joseph, and Manitoulin Island. The network will provide connectivity to residents over a 50,000 sq. km geography. PomeGran will own and operate the network. The open access framework will attempt to foster a competitive market, enabling numerous ISPs to offer diverse services to consumers at competitive prices.