Point Broadband said it will start immediately on a fiber internet upgrade for the customers it newly acquired from Riviera Utilities’ residential cable and internet business.
Riviera Utilities, based in Foley, Alabama, is a public utility company that provides electric, water, wastewater, and natural gas to the Eastern Shore, central, and south Baldwin County communities. Baldwin County, in the southern part of the state on the Gulf, is the fastest growing county in Alabama.
The utility has served residents of Baldwin County and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The CEO of Riviera Utilities, Brian Skelton, thanked its employees and customers in a press release issued today announcing the acquisition. He told customers they will be “in great hands with Point Broadband.”
“Riviera Utilities is proud to partner with Alabama-based Point Broadband as they transition our customers to an all-fiber network,” Skelton said. “Point will be offering the fastest speeds in our market with the unmatched reliability of an all-fiber network and local customer service office.”
The acquisition was approved by the Riviera Utilities’ board of directors on August 27 and by the Foley City Council on September 3, according to the announcement. Point Broadband plans to begin construction on the network immediately, with an aim to transition customers to fiber services in the coming months.
Point Broadband was founded in 2017 and currently operates in 10 U.S. states, including Michigan, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Texas.
Telecompetitor reported in February 2023 that Point Broadband Fiber Holding LLC had received significant growth investment from funds affiliated with Berkshire Partners and that the company had gained backing from the private equity firm GTCR in 2021. At that time, Point Broadband said the investment would “accelerate the deployment of our all-fiber Gigabit broadband solutions to a wider array of residential and business customers in rural communities.”
“We are excited to extend, densify, and aggressively grow our existing network across south Alabama. Point Broadband will be upgrading the area to a 100% fiber network, to deliver a superior broadband and customer service experience for residential and commercial customers currently served by Riviera Utilities,” said Patricia Martin, chief executive officer of Point Broadband.
