Building Broadband: Comcast is lighting up Duvall, Washington, with symmetrical broadband; Ezee kicks off the first phase of its Santa Fe, New Mexico, fiber build

Comcast is lighting up Duvall, Washington, with symmetrical broadband
Comcast is connecting over 1,400 homes and businesses in Duvall, Washington, to symmetrical fiber Internet through the initial expansion of its network to the region—bringing Internet, mobile, entertainment, and security services from Xfinity and Comcast Business to residents and businesses for the first time. In October, Comcast will connect 200 homes and more than 600 in November, and another 600 in December for a total of more than 1,400 by the end of 2025. The company also expects to extend its network to an additional 2,000 homes and businesses in Duvall in 2026. Over the past three years, Comcast has invested more than $1.2 billion in technology and infrastructure in Washington state.

Ezee kicks off the first phase of its Santa Fe, New Mexico fiber build
As part of a partnership with the City of Santa Fe, Ezee Fiber plans to begin construction in the public right-of-way to expand the availability of high-speed internet services. The construction will begin in late October to early November. Ezee Fiber's infrastructure upgrades will make its high-speed internet services available to nearly 5,000 Santa Fe homes in this first phase, which includes Ezee Fiber's full suite of services, including multi-gig broadband speeds for residential and business customers. With construction expected to continue through 2026, Ezee Fiber is committed to ensuring that homes and businesses will have the foundational next-generation network in place as soon as practical. 

Gateway Fiber begins Moorhead, MN fiber build
Gateway Fiber officially celebrated the start of network construction in Moorhead, Minnesota with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 16 at the Hjemkomst Center, commemorating the beginning of its all-fiber network build. vent marked an exciting milestone for residents and businesses eager for faster, more reliable connectivity. City officials, community leaders, and Gateway Fiber team members joined together to celebrate the project, which will deliver 100% fiber optic connections to homes and businesses throughout Moorhead. Gateway Fiber’s network will deliver symmetrical upload and download speeds up to 1 Gbps or higher. Its expansion into Moorhead continues the company’s growth across Minnesota. The construction phase is now underway, with the first customers expected to come online in the coming months.

Lyte Fiber wins $142M in BEAD and TMAP funding to enhance broadband across 7 Texas counties
Houston-based Lyte Fiber has been preliminarily awarded $142 million by the State of Texas – the third-largest award in the program – to expand high-speed fiber internet to thousands of unserved and underserved locations across seven counties, outpacing bids from some of the nation’s biggest carriers. The grant award includes $119 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding and $23 million from the Texas Match Assistance Program (TMAP), provided by the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Fund, a voter-approved initiative to expand broadband statewide. The program, administered by the Texas Broadband Development Office under the Office of the Comptroller, drew more than 4,000 applications with an average of six competing projects per service area. Only 22 applicants were selected. Lyte will invest an additional $40 million privately to expand the reach of its BEAD funding locations. The preliminary awarded projects span Bee, Cass, Harris, Kleberg, Marion, Navarro, and San Patricio counties, connecting nearly 9,700 homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions, such as schools, health clinics, and public safety entities. About 96 percent of the locations will be connected to a fiber network delivering speeds up to 10 Gbps. This latest award follows the nearly $58 million Lyte received earlier this year through the State’s Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) II Program. With significant backing from SDC Capital’s $2.1 billion Digital Infrastructure Opportunity Fund IV and an executive team with over 150 years of telecom experience, Lyte is poised to deliver enduring broadband solutions designed to last.

Mediacom Communications wraps multi-gig upgrades in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Caption: The enhancements to Mediacom’s fiber-powered network create more responsive end-to-end experiences for consumers

Mediacom Communications recently completed a multi-gigabit and symmetrical speed broadband upgrade in the cities of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, expanding the company’s total number of upgraded homes and businesses by 200,000. Leveraging new technology that builds upon Mediacom’s existing fiber-rich network architecture, these upgrades were completed without the company having to dig up yards, add bulky equipment, or bury new cables. Upgrades are now underway in suburban areas surrounding Des Moines. Together with projects in Mediacom’s Delaware, Maryland, Florida Panhandle, Metro Minneapolis, and Quad Cities markets, the company expects to offer enhanced broadband services to 1 million households by the end of 2026. These network improvements will allow Mediacom to ramp up from the one and two-gigabit offerings of today to speeds of 10 Gbps and beyond in the coming years.

Ripple Fiber moves forward with Michigan network buildout
Ripple Fiber is launching service for over 35,000 households in Plymouth and Canton, Michigan. This achievement follows the recent launch of service in nearby Allen Park earlier this year. The remainder of Ripple Fiber’s current Wayne County project, which will serve over 60,000 homes, expands into Livonia, Garden City, and Westland, where construction will continue into 2026. 

Surf Internet invests $11.4M in Northern Michigan fiber investment
Surf Internet has launched its expansion into northern Michigan, marking its move into what the company calls its “new northern frontier.” With an $11.4 million private investment, Surf is expanding fiber connectivity to 8,965 homes and businesses—bringing greater access and choice to the communities of Charlevoix, Petoskey, Boyne City, East Jordan, and Harbor Springs. Construction is planned to begin this winter. Surf’s move north builds on its momentum across Michigan’s lower peninsula, following recent expansions in communities such as Sparta, Mason, and Fowlerville. The company continues to invest heavily in Michigan’s digital future, extending fiber networks to areas that have historically lacked consistent, high-performance service. Surf has participated in Michigan’s Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks (ROBIN) grant program and is among the top preliminary recipients in the Federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, positioning the company to extend high-speed connectivity to even more unserved and underserved areas across the state.

TDS Telecom launches southeast Wisconsin fiber expansion
TDS Telecommunications is expanding its fiber broadband network to the Lake Geneva area in southeast Wisconsin, accelerating the Madison-based company’s fiber growth in its home state. Construction is scheduled to begin in some areas as early as next month. The soon-to-be TDS fiber communities are located mainly in Walworth County but also in Kenosha and Waukesha counties. Through these projects, the expanded fiber network will provide some of the fastest internet speeds in the world to approximately 26,000 homes and businesses. Communities in TDS’ latest fiber expansion plans include Lake Geneva, Burlington, Camp Lake, Como, Delavan, East Troy, Genoa City, Pell Lake, Walworth, and Williams Bay. TDS is currently building fiber networks in virtually every corner of the state. Other communities with ongoing TDS fiber projects include Twin Lakes, Green Bay, Janesville, and Eau Claire. Additionally, TDS is tackling network upgrades in many rural areas within its existing service footprint.