Building Broadband: Brightspeed begins final phase of Western Ohio fiber expansion; Conterra furthers XGS-PON path with Open PON

Brightspeed begins final phase of Western Ohio fiber expansion
Brightspeed is connecting over 8,000 homes and businesses in Van Wert and Delphos, Ohio, to its fiber broadband service. According to Broadband Now, Ohio ranks 30th among states in terms of internet coverage, speed, and availability. Over half of these western Ohio communities will have access to multi-gig-speed internet service when Brightspeed’s full fiber network buildout is complete.

The table below illustrates the total number of homes and businesses that are ready to be connected:

Conterra furthers XGS-PON path with Open PON
Conterra Networks has selected FONEX and the Open PON solution powered by Ciena’s pluggable microOLTs to upgrade its network to XGS-PON in a way that is both flexible and cost-effective. Building on its already robust GPON foundation, Conterra sought a path to XGS-PON that would allow it to scale at its own pace and minimize upfront capital expenditures. With Open PON, Conterra can upgrade in smaller, manageable increments rather than committing to a full chassis investment. The transition also preserves existing infrastructure: Conterra is building on its installed base of Ethernet switches, eliminating the need for new line cards or system overhauls. For business services, the deployment includes pluggable customer-premises optical terminals (ONTs) that offer enhanced performance while maintaining the openness needed to support a wide variety of ONTs in a vendor-agnostic format.

Gateway Fiber takes fiber service to Cottage Grove, Minn.
Gateway Fiber is expanding its network into Cottage Grove, Minnesota. This milestone follows the City of Cottage Grove’s Request for Proposal (RFP) process, in which Gateway Fiber was selected to design, construct, and deploy a fiber infrastructure throughout the community. Construction on the new network is now underway, with Gateway Fiber crews working closely with city officials to ensure a smooth rollout. Following recent launches in communities such as Shoreview, Plymouth, and Coon Rapids, Gateway Fiber’s expansion into Cottage Grove is part of the company’s broader effort to enhance broadband availability in the Twin Cities metro area and beyond.

Fidium enhances fiber reach in three new Maine towns
Fidium is laying down new fiber roots in additional parts of Maine as it expands its service to Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor, and Wiscasset. More than 2,000 locations in Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro will be able to access fiber-based broadband service, with plans starting at $30. Over in Wiscasset, Fidium will equip 3,400 homes and businesses with fiber-based broadband. Residents in Wiscasset 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. Over 385,000 Mainers now have access to Fidium, with more expansion planned in the coming months.

Intrepid Fiber Networks raises $425M to accelerate fiber broadband expansion
Intrepid Fiber Networks has increased the capacity of its senior secured credit facility to $425 million. The upsized facility, arranged by Societe Generale, provides additional liquidity to accelerate Intrepid’s network deployments and pursue strategic growth opportunities. The proceeds will fund accelerated construction in Intrepid’s core Colorado and Minnesota markets, with additional future builds. This, along with strategic acquisitions of complementary fiber assets, will broaden Intrepid’s footprint and leverage its operating scale. To date, Intrepid’s network reach now exceeds 150,000 fiber passings.

SBA Communications to enable 10G fiber broadband for Wyld Oaks development
Wyld Oaks, a northwest Orlando-based mixed-use development, has selected SBA Communications to provide fiber connectivity infrastructure throughout the Wyld Oaks master plan. The 215-acre development, strategically positioned adjacent to State Road 429 and directly served by the Kelly Park Road interchange, will now offer comprehensive connectivity for all future residents, businesses, and visitors. Wyld Oaks is working with SBA Communications to develop fiber-based connectivity solutions that leverage its converged infrastructure and networks throughout the Wyld Oaks master plan. Wyld Oaks has already engineered and installed the underground conduit infrastructure in anticipation of welcoming its first businesses and residents in the third quarter of 2026, as part of its multimillion-dollar road and utility installation project.

STELLAR Broadband brings 10G fiber internet to Farmington and Farmington Hills
STELLAR Broadband has launched its services in Farmington and Farmington Hills. As a service provider on the new Farmington Area FiberCity network, STELLAR will deliver symmetrical, multi-gigabit fiber Internet— scalable up to 10 Gbps—along with turnkey managed services, to multi-dwelling units (MDUs), homeowner associations (HOAs), and businesses beginning in summer 2025.