An announced Vyve fiber ring adds evidence to rural cable consolidator Vyve’s (originally known as BCI Broadband) pledge to bring “industry leading products and services” to its rural markets. Vyve emerged on the scene just over three years ago, and today announced that it has completed the buildout of a 400-mile fiber ring around central and eastern Oklahoma.
According to a press release, the ring is the “culmination of a $200 million investment to bring world-class Internet service to all of Vyve’s rural communities.”
The fiber ring news comes just weeks after Vyve announced that it had begun offering gigabit service on a limited basis in parts of Oklahoma.
Vyve Fiber Ring
Vyve’s new fiber ring has 48 fibers, with four currently in use, delivering data and video content at speeds up to 80 Gbps, according to a Vyve press release. “This represents a huge advantage for Vyve customers who previously relied on shared networks,” the company said.
The system can be upgraded in the future to support speeds of several hundred gigabits per second, Vyve said.
“This puts us in a fantastic position to handle the expected explosion of broadband demand in the coming years,” said Vyve Broadband CEO Jeffrey S. DeMond in the press release.
The new ring feeds seven main hubs, which then provide direct service to 34 other cities and towns and more than 40 municipalities across Oklahoma. The ring connects to a larger network that includes Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Atlanta and delivers traffic to Vyve customers in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Wyoming and Georgia, Vyve said.
Vyve acquisitions have included Allegiance Communications operations in several states including Oklahoma, as well as James Cable Systems operations in Oklahoma and additional states.
A cable acquisition strategy at first glance might appear to be a risky one, considering that over-the-top video alternatives are putting pressure on that business. But as the fiber ring news illustrates, the Vyve management team undoubtedly views broadband as the key growth driver for the business – provided that sufficient investment is made in broadband infrastructure to support advanced high-speed services.
