Fiber provider Tillman Fiber Co. has launched services in the cities of Northport, Kissimmee, and Deltona and Hernando County, Florida. Residents can gain access to gigabit speed broadband through T-Mobile Fiber over the Tillman network.
There are three symmetrical speed tiers — 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 2 Gbps — with prices starting at $60 per month for the lowest if the subscriber uses autopay and takes a T-Mobile voice line. All plans include a five-year price guarantee (excluding taxes and fees) and come with weekly perks and Wi-Fi equipment. There are no annual contracts or installation charges.
Tillman Fiber said it is spending $1 billion on an expansion across Florida. It currently provides service in Lakeland and St. Petersburg.
“This launch underscores our commitment to delivering world-class fiber internet infrastructure to communities that need it,” said Ed Chan, Tillman Fiber CEO, about the Florida expansion.
“We’re committed to building infrastructure that fundamentally changes how communities access much-needed, reliable ultra-fast fiber internet. Through our partnership with T-Mobile, we’re combining forces to deliver the best-in-class internet experience to meet Florida’s growing digital needs.”
Tillman is backed by Tillman Global Holdings and Northleaf Capital Partners. The firms have committed more than $500 million of equity capital that aims at funding more than 10,000 miles of fiber buildout.
Last July, Tillman received funding from two sources totaling $1.15 billion. The bulk was $815 million of debt financing from a consortium consisting of Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank; Goldman Sachs Bank USA; JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.; MUFG Bank Ltd.; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; Société Générale; and Banco Santander S.A., New York Branch.
The company also opened a credit facility that could generate as much as $200 million in term loans.
Despite its partnership with Tillman Fiber in Floriday, reports last week said that KeyBanc Capital Markets had downgraded T-Mobile from sector weight to underweight due to concerns about the carrier being “fiber deficient in a converged/bundled world.”
