The Buildout: Cox awarded $61M for Oklahoma broadband

The state of Oklahoma on Monday awarded $158 million for broadband projects to connect 28,000 homes and businesses. Funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, via the Treasury Department's capital projects fund and will cover 50 grants for 12 service providers in 28 counties in mostly rural areas. ISPs will provide an additional $109 million in matching funds. The largest funding recipient by far was Cox Communications ($61 million). Grants were also approved for regional providers including Dobson Fiber ($24.7 million), Resound Networks ($18.2 million) and Atlas Broadband ($17.6 million). AT&T affiliate Southwestern Bell Telephone Company was awarded $14.1 million.

Sticking with Oklahoma, Nextlink has completed construction in areas of that state where it received funding from the FCC's Connect America Fund (CAF). The fixed wireless network, which was completed a year ahead of schedule, according to a press release, now reaches 18,000 rural and remote homes and businesses. Elsewhere in Oklahoma, Nextlink announced it has covered roughly 20% of the locations (1,100) in its awarded areas under the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) as well, with that buildout slated for completion by 2028.

Twist Broadband – a fixed wireless access (FWA) service offered by Sail Internet – is launching in the regions of San Jose, Santa Clara and Milpitas, California. In a press release, the company said that 50,000 homes will have access as of October 1, with 100,000 expected to gain service by November 2024. Sail Internet, a fiber provider, offers Twist Broadband services, with next-generation FWA equipment from Tarana, in areas not reached by its fiber network. Sail Internet – which has investment funding from Newlight Ventures, Ulu Ventures, Engineering Capital and Better Ventures – recently announced the acquisition of Bay Area fiber provider Paxio's residential business.

Comcast announced progress on its expansion across Maryland's Eastern Shore, with the first Xfinity connections going live on Kent Island. The service launch is part of a network construction project to connect 9,000 homes and businesses on Kent Island and in nearby communities. The project is slated for completion by the end of 2026, according to a press release.

Charter's Spectrum launched services in multiple states where it is building out with support from the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). In Ohio, Spectrum services went live for more than 1,700 homes and businesses in the Knox County communities of Butler, Clay, Clinton, College, Harrison, Jackson, Liberty, Miller, Morgan, Morris and Pleasant Townships. In Wisconsin, services went live for more than 3,000 homes and businesses in parts of Outagamie County, including the regions of Freedom, Center, Oneida and Osborn. In Minnesota, Spectrum launched for nearly 100 homes and businesses in parts of Dakota County. And in New York, Spectrum went live for 100 homes and businesses in the town of Preston.

Ziply Fiber launched its services for the first 500 addresses in its buildout in Colville, Washington. Construction is still underway and is expected to be complete "in the coming weeks," according to a press release. The Colville network will ultimately reach nearly 1,300 homes and businesses.

Mediacom has finished its first phase of construction in St. Louis County, Minnesota, bringing service to 135 homes in Biwabik Township. Construction on the project began in September 2023 and will ultimately reach 550 homes. The build, which involves the installation of 44 miles of conduit and 25 miles of fiber, is being supported with a grant ($821,758) from the state's Border-to-Border Development Grant program, which has funding from the American Rescue Plan. Mediacom is investing $1.2 million in the region as well, according to a press release.

Astound Broadband has partnered with Pierce County, Washington, to deliver service to 3,200 homes in the regions of Herron Island, Key Peninsula and Nisqually. Pierce County will allocate $7.15 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan, with Astound Broadband investing $4.85 million. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. Astound Broadband was launched in 2022 as the unified brand of regional providers RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch and Digital West.

NKTelco, a fiber provider in Ohio, has completed a broadband construction project in the region of Versailles in Darke County. The company's Flight Fiber service is now available to 1,600 homes and businesses. According to a press release, the Versailles build is part of NKTelco's larger $2 million investment in Ohio. NKTelco is owned by Schurz Communications, following an acquisition in 2021.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last week approved $172 million for last-mile broadband projects, funded via the state's Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant Program. The funding will help connect 7,025 unserved locations. Funding was awarded to cities, municipalities, tribes and independent local providers, with AT&T also picking up $1.3 million. Earlier in September, the CPUC also awarded $91 million, to reach 4,520 unserved locations, with Comcast getting $14 million.

Metronet announced plans to invest $34 million to expand to Westminster, Colorado. The company said it will start construction this fall with the first customers to be connected in the spring of 2025. With this build, Westminster will mark the second city in Colorado to be served by Metronet, following Colorado Springs. The company did not specify the anticipated reach of its build. Metronet is in the process of being acquired through a joint venture formed by T-Mobile and existing Metronet investor KKR. Metronet's other investor, Oak Hill Capital, will retain a minority stake.