Brightspeed, which is heading into the home stretch of announcements, says that it will deploy fiber broadband to more than 72,000 addresses in New Jersey.
The first phase will bring the network to as many as 20,000 addresses in Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties by the end of next year. The balance – more than 52,000 addresses – will be deployed in subsequent years, according to the press release.
As in other states, the projects will feature gigabit-plus XGS-PON architectures and will include Wi-Fi 6.
In addition to New Jersey, the company has made announcements of intentions to deploy in 16 states: Indiana, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, South Carolina, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Alabama, Ohio, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Tennessee.
All of those projects are dependent upon the completion of Apollo-managed funds’ acquisition of ILEC assets from Lumen Technologies in 20 states. That seems to be drawing closer: Each of the states has approved and the FCC signed off on the deal last month. The last step is the closing, which is expected early in the fourth quarter.
According to Telecompetitor calculations, Brightspeed has announced that it will pass a total of 3.115 million addresses, with 1.157 million of those in the first phase and 1.958 million slated for subsequent years.
Brightspeed says that it plans to spend $2 billion to reach as many as 3 million homes and businesses during the next five years. Using Telecompetitor calculations as a guide, Brightspeed already has surpassed the estimated addresses. Brightspeed also has said that it will look at ways to work with local entities – the New Jersey Broadband Access Study Commission for example — for opportunities to expand its deployments.
If it plans to build in each state of the 20 Lumen states, three more announcements will be made.
Earlier this week, the company said it would pass 120,000 addresses in Indiana. The plan is to pass more than 50,000 by the end of next year and the balance in subsequent years.
