Phil Britt

The latest example of a broadband/electric partnership — pairing a fiber provider with a utility company for a broadband deployment — comes from Accelecom and the Franklin Electric Plant Board (Franklin EPB). They are joining forces to enable Franklin EPB to deliver high-speed internet services to the businesses and residents of Franklin, Kentucky.

SpaceX’s Starlink Mini satellite is now available for everyone in the United States. Starlink Mini is a compact, portable kit designed to be able to fit in a backpack, enabling the user to have high-speed, low-latency internet on the go. The service promises speeds of 5-50 Mbps, with setup possible in as little as two minutes. The standard Starlink service plan offers 150-250 Mbps. The base hardware for the Starlink Mini is available for $499. Service is available starting at $50 per month, which provides the user with 50 G of data.

Astound is the latest service provider to announce a low-income ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program) replacement service.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has now accepted digital equity plans from all 50 States, DC, and Puerto Rico.

Sago Internet, based in Medina County (TX) has acquired Somerset, TX-based ClearBadger LLC for an undisclosed price. Sago Internet was founded in 2021 by Medina County residents. It was formed as a fixed wireless provider, but apparently is branching out into fiber, as the company noted that it plans to expand its wireless and fiber internet services.

AccessParks—which provides broadband connectivity to RV parks, national and state parks, and manufactured housing communities—received additional funding from M/C Partners, a private equity firm focused on the digital infrastructure and technology services sectors. The amount of the investment was not disclosed, but was described as “significant.” AccessParks’ campground division provides outdoor connectivity using fiber-optic, microwave, 5G, and Wi-Fi services.

123NET and Ottawa County's (MI) seventh largest county by population, have entered into a public-private partnership to build 380 miles of additional fiber in the county. The county board and 123NET finalized the agreement near the end of 2023. The $25 million project, funded, in part, through $14 million from Michigan’s ROBIN program, $7.5 million from Ottawa County’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $3.5 million from 123NET will bring fiber access to about 4,000 residents.

Oak Hill Capital has made yet another investment in telecommunications, announcing its acquisition of Florida-based fiber-to-the-home provider Wire 3 from Guggenheim Investments. The price was not disclosed. Oak Hill Capital has committed to invest up to $250 million out of its sixth flagship fund to accelerate the expansion of Wire 3’s fiber network in underserved communities across Florida. Wire 3’s existing management team members will continue leading the business, now as shareholders. Wire 3 provides symmetrical internet speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

T-Mobile said that it achieved the world’s first six-carrier aggregation call using sub-6 GHz spectrum on its live production 5G network. Working with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, T-Mobile exceeded 3.6 Gigabits per second (Gbps) in the test. The carrier described this speed as fast enough to download a two-hour HD movie in less than 7 seconds. Higher speed and increased performance are the result of the 5G carrier aggregation in which T-Mobile combined multiple 5G channels.

Buffalo (IN)-based LightStream has agreed to purchase Monon Telephone Company for an undisclosed price. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, which are expected to be final in the first half of 2024. The Monon acquisition would add to LightStream’s existing fiber network in White and Pulaski Counties. Customers added through the potential acquisition can add managed Wi-Fi service to their home or business, in addition to internet and phone services, Lightstream noted in an announcement of the deal.