Omni Fiber and Lit Fiber merge to bolster fiber network expansion
Omni Fiber, a Midwest fiber internet provider, is merging with Medina, Ohio-based Lit Fiber, County, Ohio, to create a more extensive network.
Lit Fiber is expanding its network into surrounding communities and building a fiber network in Brownsville, Texas.
This deal is about scale.
Lit Fiber’s network in Ohio complements Omni’s. Today, Lit Fiber has passed over 20,000 homes in four primary markets: Medina County, Ohio; Brownsville, TX; Avon, Ohio; and Copley, Ohio. Omni Fiber is currently available in multiple markets in Ohio and Pennsylvania, with several other markets either under construction or partially available.
Darrick Zucco, CEO of Omni Fiber, said, "Lit Fiber's network in Ohio is adjacent to our network, and working together will allow our teams to move faster into new markets, operate more efficiently, and serve our customers better” particularly in underserved areas.
Once the network and systems integration activities are completed in early 2025, existing Lit Fiber customers will become eligible for faster speeds (up to 10 Gbps).
Both companies have continued to expand their reach.
Earlier this year, Omni Fiber announced the expansion of its fiber network to nearly 20 new markets in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Likewise, Lit Fiber launched a collaboration with Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Co-op (LMRE) to provide fiber internet access to every LMRE member in Medina County, Ohio.
Omni Fiber and Lit Fiber are majority-owned by Oak Hill Capital, an investor in fiber-to-the-home technology. Other Lit existing shareholders, including Stephens Capital Partners ("Stephens") and The Pritzker Organization, are remaining shareholders and plan to continue supporting the business.
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About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
