Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications combine under the Rightfiber brand
Key Highlights
- The merger combines over 28,000 miles of fiber and serves more than 400 communities across 20 states, expanding fiber access significantly.
- Heath Simpson will serve as CEO of the new company, with Todd Foje as Executive Chairman, emphasizing local relationships and community investment.
- Rightfiber plans to grow through organic expansion and targeted acquisitions, including recent deals in Nebraska and Kentucky.
- The private equity sector is highly active in telecom, with nearly 50 PE firms investing in fiber broadband deals, indicating strong sector momentum.
- Major players like T-Mobile are also investing in fiber infrastructure, signaling a broader industry trend toward consolidation and expansion.
Grain Management is merging two of its portfolio companies — Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications — to form Rightfiber, reflecting the ongoing trend of private capital investing in fiber broadband and the broader telecom space.
Both Ritter and GPC have over 100 years of experience deploying telecom and fiber infrastructure in local communities.
Upon completing the deal, Heath Simpson, currently CEO of Ritter Communications, will serve as CEO of the combined company, and Todd Foje, currently CEO of Great Plains Communications, will serve as Executive Chairman.
Grain emphasized that existing customers would continue receiving the same reliable service, local relationships, and personalized support. The new company will also continue to develop strong community partnerships and to make long-term infrastructure investments across the new service area.
Todd Foje, Executive Chairman of Rightfiber, noted the new company “will combine deep local relationships with expanded capabilities and investment to accelerate growth and continue bringing advanced fiber connectivity to underserved communities.”
Deep network assets
By combining with this company, the new Rightfiber will have an even deeper network reach, serving not only residential customers with fiber-based broadband but also businesses, data centers, and hyperscalers across its markets.
Each company brings something to the table in terms of network assets.
GPC comes with a 20,000+ mile Mplify-certified fiber network spanning 13 states. Likewise, Rightfiber/Ritter operates in 197 communities across seven states and 8,300 miles of fiber.
In all, the new company will serve more than 400 communities with a network spanning 20 states. It will also connect 300,000 homes and businesses across its 28,000-mile regional fiber network.
New growth paths
While this merger is new, it's clear that Grain plans to further scale the newly combined company through a mix of organic expansion and targeted mergers and acquisitions of likely other regional players.
Before this merger took place, neither company was shy about advancing its network reach.
Besides expanding fiber into new communities in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and Tennessee, Rightfiber has made targeted acquisitions in recent years, like the City of Ruston, La.’s fiber broadband network.
Similarly, GPC has continued to expand its reach through ongoing fiber builds into various communities, as well as through acquisitions and partnerships. In May, GPC reached a deal to acquire Fastwyre’s Nebraska business, which serves more than two dozen communities.
GPC has also been advancing its status in the growing data center market. Last November, it agreed with Aphorio Carter to bring redundant fiber connectivity to Aphorio Carter’s colocation and data center facility in Simpsonville, Kentucky.
Private equity focus
Grain’s move on merging Rightfiber and GPC reflects the private equity segment's interest in the fiber broadband and telecom space.
T-Mobile, through a $2 billion joint venture with Oak Hill Capital, acquired 50% stake in regional fiber providers Greenlight Networks and GoNetspeed. Set to close in the first half of 2027 after meeting necessary regulatory approvals, this deal will enable T-Mobile to expand its fiber internet access war chest.
The wireless operator also established a joint venture with KKR to acquire fiber broadband provider Metronet. Earlier, T-Mobile partnered with EQT to acquire Lumos Networks to bring services to 2 million homes in underserved markets by 2026.
PwC noted in its Telecommunications: US Deals 2026 midyear outlook report that the “US telecommunications sector entered 2026 with renewed M&A momentum, driven by an accelerating wave of fiber operator consolidation.”
Today, the research firm estimates that 50 PE firms are active. In eight quarters, there have been 37 deals, and further platform exits are expected in 2026.
“PwC analysis of publicly announced US telecom and broadband transactions and FCC transfer-of-control filings finds nearly 50 unique PE firms actively deploying capital into US telecom, including KKR, Blackstone, Apollo, Stonepeak, and Blue Owl, and approximately 36 PE-backed telecom transactions recorded in the trailing eight quarters alone,” PwC said. “The private capital pipeline is deep and accelerating.”
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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.
