Consolidated spotlights 5G, public-private partnership potential

Consolidated Communications CEO Bob Udell highlighted 5G and public-private partnerships as two key opportunities for providers to close the broadband gap in the rural US, but warned state-level restrictions could hamper the latter’s potential. The company recently set a goal to cover at least 70% of its footprint with gigabit broadband services by 2025. Udell said he sees 5G rollouts as a key chance to advance its plan. Founded in Illinois in 1894 as the Mattoon Telephone Company, Consolidated Communications now ranks among the top 10 fiber providers in the US, with a footprint spanning 23 states and 46,000 route miles of fiber.