Brightspeed says that it has received $238 million in local, state, and federal grants and funds. The money, the company says, will expand the number of addresses passed by planned projects by 121,000 in 14 states.
Separately, the company highlighted its network progress during 2024.
“When we launched the company in 2022, we made a multi-billion-dollar commitment to reach more than four million homes and businesses in our footprint. We are on pace to achieve our initial goal, and every grant award allows us to go even further,” Brightspeed CEO Tom Maguire said in a press release.
“Broadband grant programs and the BEAD program have created a unique opportunity for us to reach deeper into more remote areas where we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to build.”
Brightspeed, which is based in North Carolina, says that it will continue to pursue state and federal grants.
The funding:
- About $180 million in North Carolina to reach more than 80,000 premises
- More than $3.8 million in South Carolina to reach nearly 5,200 locations
- About $11.9 million in Wisconsin reach more than 8,400 locations
- $2.3 million in Texas to reach nearly 5,000 locations
- About $270,000 in Louisiana reach more than 400 locations
- $5.6 million in Virginia to reach almost 3,500 homes and businesses
- About $597,000 in Alabama reach more than 1,000 locations
- $6.8 million in Tennessee to reach 2,800 locations
- $470,000 in Arkansas to reach 580 homes and businesses
- $774,000 in Michigan reach nearly 390 locations
- $782,000 in Pennsylvania to reach 340 locations
- About $474,000 in Kansas to reach more than 550 locations
- More than $12.3 million in Ohio to connect reach 5,900 homes and businesses
- More than $5.5 million in Indiana to reach nearly 3,300 locations
- More than $7.5 million in BEAD funding from Louisiana to reach 2,800 premises
Thanks in part to some grants it has received, Brightspeed says it is now passing approximately 1.82 million locations with fiber. That surpasses the 2024 goal of 1.75 million passings. In 2024, Brightspeed says it rolled out more than 17,600 miles of fiber, which brings the total to more than 103,000 miles. The service provider now has a presence in more than 160 communities in 20 states.
In December, 2023, Maguire told Telecompetitor how Apollo Global Management came to acquire the consumer business then held by Lumen (then CenturyLink) and form Brightspeed .
