Building Broadband: AT&T, Mississippi established $30.5 public-private fiber partnership; Brightspeed secures $575M to bring fiber to 5M homes

AT&T, Mississippi, $30.5 public-private fiber partnership targets rural parts of the state
AT&T and the state of Mississippi have established a $30.5 million public-private partnership to expand AT&T Fiber internet to over 5,300 residential and business locations in portions of Hinds, Rankin, Leake, and Neshoba Counties. AT&T says the company will expand fiber broadband to nearly 1,600 homes and small businesses. State officials used federal funds made available by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help bring fiber internet to the area. Mississippi will invest nearly $16 million, and AT&T will invest more than $14 million in the project.

Brightspeed secures $575M to bring fiber to 5M homes
Brightspeed has raised $575 million in capital to accelerate its ongoing fiber network expansion. This new funding is incremental to the $3.7 billion raised in 2024. It will support Brightspeed's continued investment to build high-speed fiber internet to over five million homes and businesses across the company's 20-state footprint. Brightspeed has already passed more than 2 million premises with fiber and expects to pass approximately 1 million additional homes in 2025 alone. In addition to private funding, Brightspeed has secured more than $295 million in public broadband grants and subsidies to date, further supporting build-out in unserved and underserved areas.

GoNetspeed targets East Haven, Connecticut, with fiber
GoNetspeed has made the Town of East Haven the next Connecticut community in line to join its fiber network. The service provider's $7.5 million investment in East Haven will bring more than 13,000 residents and businesses access to symmetrical 2 Gbps speeds. GoNetspeed plans to break ground on East Haven’s new fiber infrastructure by summer 2025, with the first residents and businesses expected to be connected shortly after construction begins. East Haven joins Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven, Hartford, and more than 40 additional communities in gaining access to GoNetspeed’s service, along with many other communities that are well on their way to having access to GoNetspeed’s fiber internet.

Hawaiian Telcom is on track to become a fully fiber-enabled state by the end of 2025
Hawaiian Telcom’s President Su Shin declared in January that the state would be the first fully fiber-enabled state in the nation by the end of 2026. In just six months, Hawaiian Telcom is showing progress toward fulfilling its promise. Kaua‘i is now fully fiber-enabled, the third island in the state to reach this milestone. Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i were fully fiber-enabled in 2023. Maui is targeted for completion by the end of this year, and O‘ahu and Hawaii Island will be fiber-enabled by the end of 2026. The total cost of this statewide undertaking is projected to be $1.7 billion, with the majority of the funding being provided by Hawaiian Telcom. According to Jason Thune, Hawaiian Telcom’s VP of fiber strategy and deployment, who is spearheading the statewide fiber expansion efforts, the completion of Kaua‘i will bring about 65% of the state to be fully fiber-enabled, representing more than 430,000 doors statewide.

Kinetic deepens NC fiber reach with $8M project
Kinetic broke ground on an $8 million fiber network build in Cabarrus and Stanly counties, marking a major milestone in expanding broadband access in North Carolina. This North Carolina Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) project will enhance connectivity for thousands of households and businesses, fostering economic growth and educational opportunities in the region. In Stanly County, Kinetic will build 78 miles of fiber, providing access to nearly 900 locations. The funding for this effort includes over $910,000 each from Kinetic, $1.1 million from Stanly County, and another $1.1 million from NCDIT. Similarly, in Cabarrus County, Kinetic plans to place 95 miles of new fiber, making more than 1,000 locations eligible for high-speed internet by the end of construction. The investment includes combined contributions of approximately $1.5 million from Kinetic, over $1.75 million from Cabarrus County, and over $1.75 million from the NCDIT. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Metronet lights up Kokomo, Indiana, with fiber internet
Metronet has begun to light up its new residential fiber network in Kokomo, Indiana. Homes in initial construction areas can now access multi-gig speeds. Two months ago, the company announced that it would expand its fiber network to homes, bringing the same level of speed and reliability to residents. Residential customers can enjoy speeds of up to 5 Gbps, while business customers can access speeds of up to 10 Gbps.

unWired Broadband breaks ground in Wasco, CA
unWired Broadband has begun construction on its fiber network in Wasco, CA. This $10 million investment will deliver up to 5 Gbps to the entire City of Wasco, totaling nearly 6,000 addresses. Installations will begin in select neighborhoods in July 2025, with construction slated to be fully complete in February 2026. To celebrate this milestone, unWired Broadband will host a groundbreaking event in Wasco on a later date.