In a deal that will focus on networking in Texas, Highline has acquired Liberty-based Internet Management Services (IMS). The combined company plans to expand its footprint in the southeast region of the state.
According to its website, IMS serves 21 towns and cities in southeastern Texas, with a mix of fiber and fixed wireless broadband.
“By integrating IMS’s local expertise and customer-centric values, Highline aims to create a synergy that will continue to elevate the standards of service and foster a deeper connection with our communities and our customers,” said Highline CEO Rob Mills, commenting on the Highline acquisition.
Highline traces its roots back more than 125 years and has been involved in fiber deployments for 27 years. In addition to Texas, it is active in Michigan, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, and Nebraska. Its networks provide 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps fiber connections within its footprint.
No details of the transaction were included in the press release. The IMS group will operate under Scott Borel, a Highline vice president with responsibility for Texas, Georgia, and Kansas.
Highline’s acquisition of IMS is the next step in its nationwide expansion.
Last September, Highline said that it had completed construction in “The Thumb” area of Michigan. At the time, it said that it was offering broadband to more than 8,000 households in Sanilac, Tuscola, Lapeer and St. Clair counties.
The 823-mile fiber project uses 14% of the funding the service provider secured in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. The company said it has until the end of 2027 to complete the project.
Last month, Highline said that it was in the process of making high-speed broadband available to more than 1,200 residents of Watersmeet Township, Michigan. Many of those addresses are already online, the company said.
The company began multi-gigabit service in May 2023 when it began offering symmetrical 2 Gbps service to 32,000 residences in the Escanaba area of the Upper Peninsula and in the Thumb area of Michigan.
