Building Broadband: AT&T makes $19B California broadband bet

AT&T makes $19B California broadband bet
AT&T is committing to invest $19 billion in California through 2030 to connect more Californians to its fiber and wireless networks. Fiber is a big part of the plan. As part of its plan, the service provider will bring fiber to an additional 4 million households and businesses in the state by the end of 2030, bringing the total to 9 million fiber locations. It will also strengthen its wireless coverage by adding more than 1,200 new cell sites across California by 2030. The $19 billion commitment represents expected investment, supported by updated federal policies, and supports AT&T’s plans to reach more than 60 million fiber locations across the U.S. by the end of 2030. With updated federal policies that enable network modernization, AT&T said it is making its largest-ever infrastructure investment commitment in the state and investing $3 billion more in the next five years (2026-2030) than the previous five (2021-2025) – reaching $35 billion invested over 10 years (2021-2030) in California’s network. During what it says is a phased approach, AT&T plans to upgrade its customers to fiber and wireless services and to discontinue energy-inefficient copper-based services – like traditional phone service – in parts of the state on or after June 1, 2027. Only 3% of households we serve in California still use traditional phone service. 

Comcast to equip 3K rural Leon County, Florida, locations with broadband
Comcast has undertaken an effort to bring broadband services to rural Floridian residents and businesses, with over 100 previously unserved homes and businesses in Leon County’s Chaires community now having access to multi-gigabit, symmetrical Internet. This summer, construction will continue to expand the network to more than 3,200 additional locations in Leon County’s rural communities, bringing them high-speed Internet access for the very first time. The project was made possible through a public-private partnership with the state of Florida’s Broadband Opportunity Program and includes locations in and around the communities of Blocker, Concord, Felkel, Gardner, Lutterloh, Meridan, Miccosukee, Wadesboro, and Woodville. Comcast’s most recent expansion in Leon County is part of the company’s latest investment in Florida, which also includes expansions to Bradford County, Lake County, and Nassau County. In 2025, Comcast expanded access to more than 120,000 additional homes and businesses statewide.

DigitalC secures $4.35M as it exceeds its 2025 goals
The Cleveland City Council has authorized a $4.35 million performance payment to DigitalC after the nonprofit exceeded its 2025 goals for connecting Cleveland households to high-speed home internet and providing residents with essential digital skills training, marking a major milestone for The Cleveland Model for digital equity. DigitalC launched its four-year citywide connectivity initiative in January 2024 as part of a broader effort led by Mayor Justin M. Bibb's administration and the Cleveland City Council to use once-in-a-generation American Rescue Plan Act dollars to expand broadband access and digital skills in a city that has historically ranked among the nation's least-connected large cities. Connect Your Community's analysis of United States Census Bureau American Community Survey data found that Cleveland was the second-least-connected big city in 2021, and its more recent analysis showed that Cleveland and Detroit still lead the list of the worst-connected large cities in 2023. Under DigitalC's performance-based contract with the City of Cleveland, DigitalC was required to add 4,700 new household internet subscriptions and provide digital adoption services to 10,000 residents in 2025.

Empire Fiber Internet lights up Wellsville, New York
Empire Fiber Internet, a leading fiber-optic internet service provider serving communities across New York and Pennsylvania, has expanded its service to Wellsville, NY, bringing connectivity to more than 1,000 homes and businesses. The service provider offers multiple high-speed internet plans ranging from 500 Mbps to 2 Gig, all delivered over a 100% fiber-optic network with no data caps, no throttling, and transparent pricing. Local businesses can also take advantage of scalable fiber solutions built to support reliability, security, and growths. Empire Fiber Internet is now installing new customers in Wellsville.

GoNetspeed kicks off South River, NJ fiber network construction
GoNetspeed announced that construction is officially underway in South River, marking the company’s first New Jersey community. Backed by a $13.6 million private investment, the project will bring fiber internet and future-ready connectivity to New Jersey, delivering reliable multi-gigabit speeds to more than 10,500 homes and businesses throughout South River. With construction actively progressing and the first customers expected to be connected by fall 2026, South River residents and businesses can now be among the first in New Jersey to experience GoNetspeed’s fiber network. Through GoNetspeed’s $13.6 million investment in South River, South River is now the first network underway, with additional New Jersey communities following closely.

Kinetic designates Jasper, Fla., a “Gig-Ready” community
Kinetic recently announced that Jasper was officially recognized as a Kinetic ‘Gig-Ready Community,’ meaning more than 75% of the homes in the community now have access to Kinetic’s high-speed, next-generation internet. More than 2,700 homes in Jasper have access to Kinetic’s internet service better to support work, education, streaming, and telehealth. Kinetic has been a long-term partner to Jasper and many other communities across Hamilton County and Florida. The Hamilton County fiber expansion is an example of the impact a successful public-private partnership can have on a community. 

Pavlov Media expands fiber Internet to Frankfort and Matteson, Illinois
Pavlov Media is bringing a fiber Internet network to both Frankfort and Matteson, Illinois. Construction is currently underway, bringing fast, reliable connectivity to local homes and businesses. This project is part of Pavlov Media's continued investment in Illinois communities. Campus Communications Group (CCG), Pavlov Media's construction division specializing in broadband infrastructure, is overseeing the planning, design, and construction of the network in Frankfort and Matteson. Construction crews are actively working throughout the area, with residents expected to begin signing up for service soon. As construction progresses, residents will soon be able to sign up for service.

Ripple Fiber invests over $80M to deliver fiber broadband to 50K Arizona locations
Ripple Fiber has set Arizona as its next fiber-build target. With an initial $80 million investment, Ripple Fiber will deliver fiber internet service to over 50,000 homes and businesses. Construction will kick off in Oro Valley later this month, followed by neighboring Sahuarita in early June. Additional municipalities will be announced as the project progresses. Ripple Fiber expects to launch its first Arizona customers later this summer. Residential packages start at $40, with options scaling up to 8 Gbps to fit every household's needs. Plans at 1 Gbps and above include the eero Pro 7 router and free internet backup, while multi-gig packages also include a 3-Year Price Lock.

Shentel completes Campbell County, Va. broadband expansion
Shentel has completed its Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) project to expand gigabit broadband internet service to more than 4,100 previously unserved homes in Campbell County, Virginia. The $20 million construction project was partly funded by the nationally recognized VATI program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Additional funding was provided through Shentel’s own capital investment and a contribution from Campbell County.

Spectrum enables 4K in Harrison County, Indiana, locations with broadband
Spectrum is continuing its fiber broadband network to bring Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 4,000 additional homes and businesses in previously unserved or underserved areas of Harrison County, Indiana. Our multi-year rural construction initiative is driven by more than $7 billion in private investment from Spectrum. It will ultimately add 100,000+ miles of fiber network infrastructure and deliver symmetrical, multi-gigabit speeds to more than 1.7 million new locations across the country. 

Syntrio bolsters reach with Tri-County Electric Cooperative fiber asset acquisition
Syntrio Solutions has acquired Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s assets, adding 250 miles of new fiber in various Texas communities. The approximately 250-mile fiber network, built by Tri-County Electric Cooperative, is now owned and operated by Syntrio. This purchase expands Syntrio’s network coverage to include all or parts of Archer, Baylor, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, Wise, and Young counties. This additional infrastructure will play a key role in advancing Syntrio’s rapid fiber deployment, enabling the delivery of high-speed internet and advanced technology services to new communities across North Texas. The next steps include integrating the fiber assets into Syntrio’s existing network that meets the company’s performance, reliability, and service standards.

TDS Telecom accelerates Montana fiber network construction
TDS Telecom’s Montana workforce has surpassed 200 associates as it gears up for its busiest construction season yet. This year, TDS plans to provide the largest number of Montana residents to date with access to TDS’s high-speed, all-fiber internet network. TDS began its multi-year fiber expansion into Montana in 2021 and has invested more than $150 million in private capital thus far. There are currently 23 open positions across Montana, many of which offer opportunities for on-the-job training and certifications. TDS is increasing construction capacity, with June through October being the busiest period for crews. Customers continue to gain access to TDS internet services in Billings, Butte, Missoula, Great Falls, and Helena, and construction is set to begin in Laurel and Lockwood later this year. 

WOW! to double Greenville, SC fiber broadband reach to 10,000 locations
WideOpenWest (WOW!) has announced plans to bring fiber-based internet to 10,000 additional homes and businesses in Greenville County, South Carolina. With this latest expansion, more than 20,000 homes and businesses across Greenville County will have access to WOW!'s fiber network by fall 2026. The service provider’s Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology delivers a dedicated fiber connection directly from the network to each residence or business, meaning customers experience symmetrical 5 Gbps connectivity. WOW! also plans to upgrade its existing broadband infrastructure in South Carolina and throughout its U.S. service areas.