Building Broadband: Brightspeed revs up its Wisconsin fiber reach

Archtop Fiber broadens its New York footprint with East Greenbush build
Archtop Fiber has begun construction of a new fiber broadband network in East Greenbush, New York, marking what it says is a key milestone in its continued expansion of high-speed fiber Internet infrastructure across the Hudson Valley and neighboring regions. As construction begins, Archtop crews will deploy a fiber network throughout East Greenbush neighborhoods and roadways. This infrastructure investment will lay the groundwork for reliable, high-speed connectivity to support the community’s evolving digital requirements for decades to come. Once operational, Archtop’s new network will deliver symmetrical upload and download Internet speeds up to 10 Gbps.

Brightspeed revs up its Wisconsin fiber reach
Brightspeed has reached a key build-out goal in Wisconsin, completing 30 percent of the company’s planned fiber network in the state. Over 67,000 homes and businesses already have access to Brightspeed Fiber Internet, with an additional 146,000 locations planned statewide as construction continues. Brightspeed’s fiber network is now complete in Marinette, Sparta, Oconto, Black River Falls, Ladysmith, Wausaukee, Darlington, Thorp, Randolph, Blair, Shullsburg, Muscoda, and Goodman. The service provider’s Wisconsin expansion is supported by nearly $138.3 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, which will enable construction to more than 44,000 additional locations, along with $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to reach another 7,100 locations. These investments complement Brightspeed’s own private commitment to expanding fiber access across the state.

Comcast lights broadband connection for Caroline County, Virginia residents
Comcast is connecting more than 1,800 additional homes and businesses in Caroline County, Virginia, to multi-gigabit, symmetrical Internet. The network expansion includes communities in Bowling Green and Ladysmith. The first residents will be connected to Xfinity services later this year. This expansion is part of Comcast’s latest investment in Virginia, which also includes network expansion projects in five other communities: Buchanan, Lynchburg, the Town of Bedford, Radford, and Strasburg.

Empire Fiber completes Steuben County, Pennsylvania fiber build
Empire Fiber Internet wrapped up its latest fiber expansion in Steuben County, serving 2,000 customers. Residents in Avoca, Birdseye Hollow, Caton, Hornby, Howard, and Savona can now enjoy reliable high-speed fiber internet. Empire Fiber Internet’s commitment to Steuben County goes beyond building a faster network; it’s about building a stronger community. On May 13, the team will participate in Career Day with Prattsburgh Elementary School, offering students a hands-on look at careers in fiber internet and technology. Students will have the opportunity to explore equipment and view a service truck (weather permitting), helping them better understand how fiber networks are built and maintained.

GoNetspeed powers up Derby and Shelton, Connecticut, with fiber broadband
GoNetspeed plans to bring its fiber network to two additional Connecticut communities: Derby and Shelton. The combined $4.2 million investment will provide more than 8,600 residents and businesses with fiber-based internet, expanding GoNetspeed’s network throughout the state. With construction actively progressing in both Derby and Shelton, expansion is moving quickly. Customers in Shelton’s initial build areas are now eligible for installation, while Derby’s first customer connections are expected by summer 2026.  As GoNetspeed builds momentum expanding its high-speed fiber network statewide, Derby and Shelton will join more than 40 Connecticut communities already connected.

IQ Fiber launches fiber internet in Florida’s Pinellas County
IQ Fiber launched service in Pinellas County, bringing fiber internet, transparent pricing, no contracts, and exceptional customer service to residents and businesses across St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo. Home to nearly one million residents and the seventh most populous county in Florida, Pinellas County is a key milestone in IQ Fiber’s customer-first growth strategy, now spanning five states across the Eastern U.S. The Pinellas County launch marks the beginning of IQ Fiber's more than $100 million investment in the region. The network deployment is expected to continue for the next 18-24 months and create more than 50 permanent jobs across St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo.

TDS makes its 8 Gbps internet service available across its Indiana service areas
TDS Telecommunications is upgrading its entire Indiana service area to bring fiber broadband access to homes and businesses. Supported in part by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (E-ACAM) program and complemented by additional private investment from TDS, the work will expand high-speed access in rural and underserved locations while increasing available speeds in select areas throughout the state. When the projects are complete, customers will have access to internet speeds starting at 100 Mbps and up to 8 gigabits, depending on location.

Vero Fiber completes Hamlin, Texas fiber broadband network
Vero Fiber has completed construction on Hamlin's new high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet network. This transformative project now provides more than 1,200 homes and businesses with access to fast, reliable, and friendly fiber internet, offering speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps. With this expansion, Vero Fiber continues to strengthen its presence across Texas, having now built fiber networks in thirteen communities throughout the state.

WOW! lights fiber broadband for over 17K East Central Michigan customers
WOW! plans to extend its all-fiber services to more than 17,000 new homes and businesses in East Central Michigan. The activations will start this spring in areas of Genesee, Livingston and Oakland counties. With this latest expansion, over 27,000 homes and businesses in the region will have access to WOW!'s all-fiber internet by early fall. WOW! also plans to upgrade its existing broadband infrastructure in Michigan and throughout its U.S. service areas. Upgrades to WOW!'s fiber backbone, core network, and data transport systems will expand capacity, enhance reliability, and pave the way for even faster speeds. The areas where fiber availability has expanded include Brighton, Genoa, and Green Oak townships and the City of Brighton (Livingston County); Flint Township and the City of Flint (Genesee County), and Lyon (Oakland County). Newly activated fiber areas include Commerce and Milford townships and the City of Wixom (Oakland County).