Building Broadband: Alabama’s governor boosts middle mile networks; Archtop Fiber breaks ground on Pittsfield / Berkshires, Massachusetts fiber build

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband and middle-mile deployments by the State of Alabama, Archtop Fiber, Brightspeed, Glo Fiber, and others.

Alabama’s governor Ivey doles out $53.5M in middle-mile grants
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey awarded nearly $53.5 million to continue expanding high-speed internet service in Alabama. The grant awarded to the Alabama Fiber Network, a coalition of electric and generation/transmission cooperatives, will help develop the second phase of the state’s “middle-mile” broadband network deployment. The project, which will impact 24 Alabama counties, will add about 1,095 miles of high-speed middle-mile broadband for our communities, and it will connect approximately 120 community anchors, like educational institutions, medical facilities, local government offices, and police and fire departments, to this service.

This latest grant under the Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle-Mile Program will provide high-speed connectivity in Baldwin, Coffee, Colbert, Covington, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Franklin, Hale, Jefferson, Lee, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Perry, Russell, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties. The project will bring over 7,500 unserved businesses and residences within five miles of high-speed internet connectivity. Funding for this latest middle-mile project came from the state’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Archtop Fiber breaks ground on Pittsfield / Berkshires, Massachusetts fiber build
Archtop Fiber has started building a fiber Internet network in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Upon completion, Archtop will provide symmetrical Internet speeds up to 10 Gbps. The new network will support more efficient streaming, provide a house full of Wi-Fi-connected devices, video conferencing, and e-commerce, and bring new business opportunities to the community. Pittsfield is the latest community to welcome Archtop as it rolls out its aggressive fiber-optic network build throughout the Northeast. Archtop has launched service in Kingston, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, and Warwick, New York, with Hudson and Catskill expected to launch this summer.

Brightspeed wins $213M in new broadband expansion grants
Brightspeed has been awarded more than $213 million in local, state and federal grants and funds to extend its planned fiber broadband network build to more homes and businesses in 12 states. The provider is already investing more than $2 billion to build a high-speed network to more than three million locations across 17 states. In its home state of North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program funds, together with the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants awarded to Brightspeed, provide approximately $177 million in funding to help connect approximately 81,000 North Carolina households and businesses across 41 counties to its blazing fast network. This brings Brightspeed’s total commitment in its home state to more than 880,000 fiber-enabled locations. Brightspeed has been awarded $35.4 million in additional grants and funding in 11 other states that would add another 28,000 locations: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Glo Fiber extends fiber broadband network to Greenfield, Ohio
Glo Fiber plans to deploy fiber broadband services to approximately 2,500 homes and businesses in Greenfield, Ohio. The service provider offers symmetrical 5 Gbps speeds. Growing its FTTH network organically and through acquisitions of other providers like Horizon has been a critical focus of Glo Fiber, which has expanded rapidly over the past five years and now serves over 275,000 homes and businesses with fiber.

GoNetspeed wraps Ludlow, Mass fiber network
GoNetspeed has completed its network construction in Ludlow, Mass, marking the second community it now serves in the state. The provider offers access to more than 4,800 homes and businesses through this deployment. With access to fiber internet through GoNetspeed’s $4.8 million investment in Ludlow, the community is powered with faster speeds and better reliability, positioning it for a successful future online. GoNetspeed said it will light up other communities in Massachusetts with its fiber broadband network service.

Norway’s Sodvin AS embarks on XGS-PON journey
Sodvin AS, a telecom and energy solutions provider, is leveraging Ciena’s broadband solution to improve the capacity and reach of its residential broadband services throughout Trøndelag county, Norway. Like other utilities offering broadband, Sodvin AS is leveraging its power infrastructure to deploy fiber networks, extending broadband access to residents and businesses in the region. Ciena’s XGS-PON solution replaces previously deployed GPON technology to deliver internet and multicast television services. Following an extensive proof-of-concept evaluation of multiple vendors, Sodvin selected Ciena’s solution.

Osage Broadband brings high-speed broadband to underserved Osage Nation
Osage Broadband, an Oklahoma-based ISP, and Tarana, a next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) technology provider, launched an upgraded broadband network that will deliver 400+ Mbps internet service to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and underserved locations throughout Osage County. Up until now, Pawhuska had been “notoriously underserved,” with most residents lucky to get 25 Mbps. These upgraded broadband speeds will enable members of the Osage Nation and other Pawhuska residents to participate in e-learning, telehealth, and other critical online activities. Besides offering services to residents and businesses, the new network has proved helpful for emergency broadband deployments. After a tornado ripped through Barnsdall, Oklahoma, in May, Osage Broadband and its tower infrastructure partner, American Tower, moved quickly to expedite a Tarana deployment to the tornado-blown town.

Vero Networks targets data center opportunities with Ohio-based conduit and fiber network
Vero Fiber Networks, a provider of fiber infrastructure solutions, has completed a 25-mile fully underground multi-conduit fiber network between Mechanicsburg, OH, and Dublin, OH. This strategic initiative aims to enhance connectivity, improve network resilience, and ensure reliable regional communication services. The new fiber network is a response to Columbus, OH, becoming one of the top ten largest data center markets in the U.S. Data Center operators are drawn to the region due to available land and power and other economic development incentives. This new route will significantly enhance connectivity in the region by providing a diverse route into the Columbus metropolitan area from previously constructed routes. Further, the path minimizes the risk of disruptions due to unforeseen events such as natural disasters, accidents, or other emergencies. Given the criticality of network availability and ever-increasing capacity demands for AI, this route provides a high capacity and geographically distinct path into the Columbus market.