Keep up to date with Lightwave’s M&A coverage:
Sizing up the top 2024 M&A deals
Also, here's coverage of Gateway Fiber:
Gateway Fiber and WANRack come together
Gateway Fiber to light fiber broadband in Northampton, Massachusetts
Key points of the merger:
· WANRack and consumer broadband provider KWIKOM will now operate under the Gateway Fiber brand.
· The rebranding will create a comprehensive fiber network serving communities and educational institutions across multiple states.
· Gateway Fiber said existing WANRack and KWIKOM customers will see no significant changes to their internet service because of the brand transition.
With its merger with E-Rate provider and WANRack and consumer broadband provider KWIKOM now complete, the new company will operate under the Gateway Fiber brand.
Gateway Fiber said the brand alignment marks a key step in unifying operations and presenting a cohesive identity across residential, business, enterprise, and educational broadband services.
Since its founding in 2019, Gateway Fiber has been actively building out fiber-based broadband network services across three states: Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Missouri.
It also offers businesses fiber-based broadband with speeds ranging from 600 Mbps to 2 Gbps.
“By bringing our residential and business services under the Gateway Fiber name, we’re creating a consistent, straightforward experience for all customers, including longtime KWIKOM customers,” said Chris Surdo, CEO of Gateway Fiber.
Comprehensive fiber network
Going forward, all Gateway Fiber and KWIKOM residential and business fiber internet services will be offered exclusively under the Gateway Fiber brand.
The rebranding reflects the effort to integrate the three fiber providers, creating a more comprehensive fiber network serving communities and educational institutions across multiple states.
KWIKOM and WANRack bring plenty of fiber experience to the table.
KWIKOM provides fiber broadband services that include speed tiers ranging from 500 Mbps to 5 Gbps as well as business services. The service provider also offers fixed wireless services to residential and business customers.
WANRack brings not only 1,000 miles of its fiber, but also its fiber WAN experience. The team has sold and installed over 230 fiber WANs (private and open access networks) across more than 23 states.
WANRack’s E-Rate educational services will continue under the name “WANRack powered by Gateway Fiber” through the end of 2025, with a complete transition to the Gateway Fiber brand expected in 2026.
Surdo said that “retaining the WANRack name for our E-Rate business honors its trusted reputation in the education sector while illustrating our combined strength through the ‘powered by Gateway Fiber’ designation.”
A consistent look
One of the significant points that Gateway Fiber wants to make with the completion of the WANRack merger is consistency.
Gateway Fiber said that customers will see no significant changes to their internet service as a result of the brand transition.
Specifically, existing service plans, pricing, and support channels will remain the same. Gateway Fiber will begin updating customer communications, billing statements, and service vehicles to reflect the new branding over the coming months, with a focus on making the transition as seamless as possible.
To ease the customer transition, Gateway Fiber will be emailing KWIKOM customers as the change takes place. Additionally, the company has added a landing page to its website explaining the changes and helpful answers in an FAQ section.
“This is about unifying our team, our mission, and our customers under one brand,” said John Meyer, Chief Customer Officer at Gateway Fiber.
For related articles, visit the Broadband Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
About the Author
Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategy of Lightwave across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products.