Building Broadband: Comcast expands Citrus County, Fla., Network reach; Fidium arrives in Waldoboro and Whitefield, Maine

Comcast expands Citrus County, Fla., network reach
Comcast is expanding its fiber network to new areas of Citrus County, Florida, to serve approximately 4,000 additional homes and businesses with broadband services. Comcast will build a new fiber network in Inverness Highlands North. The area is located South of East Perry Street, North of East Gulf to Lake Highway, West of North Crestwood Avenue and East of North Croft Avenue. This new network will provide Citrus County with access to up to 1 Gbps for residential customers and up to 100 Gbps for businesses. 

Fidium arrives in Waldoboro and Whitefield, Maine
Fidium is now available to more than 4,900 homes and businesses in Waldoboro and Whitefield, as well as parts of Alna and Nobleboro, Maine. For Waldoboro, completion of the project comes just months after the start of construction, and less than a year after a town vote to join other Lincoln County towns in partnering with Fidium on fiber network expansion. Residents in these communities are among the first of more than 36,000 homes and businesses in the Lincoln County area that will be connected to Fidium’s all-fiber network this summer, a project funded in part by a grant from the Maine Connectivity Authority, additional funding from Lincoln County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants and private investment from Fidium. Additionally, Fidium plans to triple all-fiber network access in York County, with expansion set for Wells, Ogunquit, and Kennebunk. More than 37,000 York County (Maine) homes and businesses will have access by year’s end, with fiber expansion beginning in June for Wells, Ogunquit, York and Kennebunk. Fiber construction is underway in Old Orchard Beach, with Fidium availability coming soon. Fidium is currently available in parts of York.

Gateway Fiber targets Fargo, ND, with fiber broadband
Gateway Fiber has named Fargo, North Dakota, as its next market for its fiber broadband service. This expansion into Fargo marks the latest step in Gateway Fiber’s mission to bridge the digital divide in the Upper Midwest, as it grows its service footprint from Minneapolis into eastern North Dakota. Construction is set to begin in June, with Gateway Fiber teams working closely alongside city officials to ensure a smooth rollout. Residents and business owners will receive regular updates on construction timelines with neighborhood door hangers and emails, and will be notified as service becomes available in their areas. Besides the new Fargo network, Gateway Fiber has expanded over the last two years into the greater Minneapolis area with high-speed service to the suburbs of Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Shoreview.

GoNetspeed broadens reach into Massachusetts' Cape Cod region
GoNetspeed, through a $7.5 million private investment, will enable more than 7,000 homes and businesses throughout the Town of Barnstable with symmetrical fiber broadband internet service. The provider plans to begin construction on the network that will serve Barnstable in 2026, with the first residents and businesses expected to gain access to 100% fiber internet as early as the summer of 2026. GoNetspeed is working to ensure that more communities throughout Massachusetts gain access to high-speed 100% fiber internet infrastructure. Barnstable will join Amherst, Easthampton, Granby, Ludlow, Springfield, and Yarmouth in gaining access to GoNetspeed service.

Lightcurve to bring fiber broadband to rural Kittitas communities
Lightcurve and Kittitas County announced today a partnership to build fiber networks that will bring high-speed internet to 400 homes in the rural areas of Thorp and Edgemont, in Kittitas County. The new fiber builds—slated for completion in Fall 2025—will improve connectivity for Kittitas residents and local businesses. Kittitas County received $3.3 million in funding through the Washington State Public Works Board Broadband Program ARPA Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund Grant. The grant is designed to bring high-speed, or broadband internet, to unserved or underserved communities. Currently, many rural areas in Kittitas County don’t have access to high-speed broadband internet. The fiber networks in Kittitas County will provide residents with symmetrical speeds of up to 2 Gbps. The project is currently in the design phase and is expected to be operational this Fall.

Ripple Fiber secures $2M for Harnett County, North Carolina fiber build
Ripple Fiber has reached an agreement with Harnett County to deploy high-speed fiber internet service to more than 2,800 locations as part of a major broadband expansion initiative. Funded with $2 million from Harnett County and a significant capital contribution from Ripple Fiber, this project will enhance connectivity for residents and businesses across the communities of Broadway, Bunnlevel, Coats, Lillington, Sanford, and Spring Lake. This transaction is the result of a finalized agreement to acquire fiber infrastructure assets from CloudWyze, which was completed in 2024. Ripple Fiber, in collaboration with local partners, is overseeing the administration of associated funding to expedite a broadband expansion initiative, with completion of the project expected in early 2026. Ripple Fiber is eager to begin building its future-ready fiber internet network for underserved residents, with plans to break ground on this project in the coming months. 

Surf Internet to bring fiber internet to Muncie and Yorktown, Indiana
Surf Internet plans to bring fiber internet to Muncie and Yorktown, Indiana, delivering the first widespread fiber network in both communities. The project represents a total investment of more than $25 million, with $21.1 million committed to bringing service to over 18,000 locations in Muncie and $3.9 million to connect approximately 3,000 addresses in Yorktown. Construction is expected to begin later this year and continue in phases into 2026. Muncie and nearby Yorktown, both located in Delaware County, Ind., are growing communities where high-speed connectivity is crucial for education, business, and daily life. Local officials welcomed the announcement, citing the impact the infrastructure investment will have on the region’s future.

UTOPIA Fiber and Bountiful City, Utah, complete citywide open-access fiber network ahead of schedule
UTOPIA Fiber and Bountiful City, Utah, have completed the Bountiful Fiber (Powered by UTOPIA) citywide open access network build, which was delivered nearly one year ahead of schedule. The operational partnership between UTOPIA Fiber and Bountiful City began on May 23, 2023, with an agreement to bring fiber internet to every address in the city within 36 months. As of May 31, 2025, nearly 24 months after the project began, it is fully built and able to serve every home and business in Bountiful. The network build includes 13,553 homes and 2,987 businesses, totaling over 16,500 addresses passed. Bountiful City hadn’t initially set out to build its fiber network. However, a steady stream of complaints from residents and a series of unfulfilled promises to upgrade infrastructure by incumbent providers pushed city leaders to take action. The process included conducting a feasibility study, leading an extensive RFP process (which UTOPIA Fiber ultimately won), building in-house expertise, and engaging the community through public hearings. After two years of thorough research, Bountiful City decided to own its fiber network, fully aligned with the city’s long-standing tradition of owning and managing its infrastructure.

Wire 3 lights first Ocala customer with Marion County expansion
Wire 3 has connected the first Ocala households and businesses to its fiber internet service. Building on initial plans for the area, Wire 3 will invest an additional $75 million in Marion County, bringing the total private investment to approximately $100 million. With service installation now available to residents and businesses within the city of Ocala, Wire 3’s investment allows customers in initial construction areas to experience Wire 3’s high-speed service, offering speeds up to 10 Gbps. Wire 3 anticipates that the whole construction process for Ocala and the expansion of Marion County will be completed as early as winter 2027. In addition to Ocala, Wire 3 currently serves Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, and many more.