MetroNet said today that it completed its merger with Vexus Fiber. The merged companies will maintain their current brands and leadership. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
MetroNet primarily operates in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia Texas, Wisconsin and Missouri. It is active in more than 120 communities.
Vexus Fiber operates FTTH networks in Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Abilene and surrounding areas in Texas. It also operates in the Louisiana communities of Hammond, Covington and Mandeville. It is building networks in the Rio Grande Valley, Tyler, Nacogdoches and San Angelo, TX. It is expanding in Lake Charles and Alexandria, LA and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Vexus Fiber was known as NTS Communications. It was acquired by Vast Broadband in 2019 and renamed Vexus Fiber. Vast was acquired by GI Partners in 2020.
MetroNet and Vexus, which will serve more than 250 communities in 16 states, have only Texas in common.
It was noted when the deal was announced in January that both companies have fiber broadband networks supporting speeds of 1 Gbps and are in Oak Hill Capital’s investment portfolio.
MetroNet is doing more than merging with other providers. In early April, it said that it is investing $130 million in Colorado Springs, CO, its first project in the state. The company said that it would deploy XGS PON technology. Three previously announced projects this year – in Hickory, NC; Ankeny, IA and Norfolk, VA – may also be using XGS-PON as the company referenced plans to use technology capable of supporting 10 Gbps speeds.
Vexus Fiber also has been active. In mid-March, the company said that The Governing Body of Santa Fe, N.M. had approved a bill enabling the service provider to deploy a 10 Gbps network in the city. A Vexus Fiber investment of $35 million is part of the project, which is expected to take 24 to 36 months to complete and to create 85 to 90 jobs in the area.
