The Buildout: Lyte Fiber lights first Texas homes; Conexon connects second Florida networkThe Buildout: Lyte Fiber lights first Texas homes; Conexon connects second Florida network

This week in broadband builds: Lyte Fiber to grow Texas footprint; Conexon Connect is live for Florida's Tri-County Electric Cooperative; Surf's up for South Bend school district; All Points connects unserved Virginians – and more.

Nicole Ferraro, Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast

January 31, 2025

4 Min Read
Fiber optic cables lie on a construction site
(Source: dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo)

The Buildout is a column from Light Reading tracking broadband network deployments. This week we're tracking new construction and service launches reaching over 50,000 locations across the US. Send us your news at [email protected]. Keep up with every installment of The Buildout here.

Lyte Fiber lights up Baytown and Marshall, Texas

Lyte Fiber, an ISP formed in 2023 in partnership with private equity firm SDC Capital, announced progress on its inaugural buildout in Texas, as well as new construction on a second network. In Baytown, Texas, where Lyte Fiber commenced work in October 2024, the company has officially connected its first homes. In a press release, Lyte Fiber said it will complete phase one of the $15 million Baytown buildout in the "coming months," delivering service to roughly 15,000 homes and businesses. Also in Texas, Lyte Fiber this week said construction is underway to bring its network to Marshall, Texas, where the company is investing $10 million to connect 8,000 homes and businesses. Construction began earlier this month and will connect initial customers this spring, according to a press release.

Conexon Connect completes second FTTH network in Florida

Conexon Connect, the ISP arm of fiber builder Conexon, has completed its second broadband network build in Florida. The project, built in partnership with Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), in Madison County, now delivers fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) to 14,000 rural homes and businesses. The project to connect TCEC members to fiber broadband was initially announced in 2022, and construction wrapped up in December 2024. (Hear more about Conexon's project with TCEC on this episode of Light Reading's podcast The Divide.)

Related:The Divide: How two rural co-ops are connecting their communities with Conexon

Surf, ChoiceLight to deliver fiber to South Bend schools

Surf Internet has partnered with ChoiceLight, a dark fiber provider, to deliver connectivity to the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC). The school district serves over 15,000 students, and the connectivity project will see Surf and ChoiceLight connect 33 district sites to a fiber network, including schools and administrative buildings, through a mix of new construction and by leveraging ChoiceLight's existing regional dark fiber network. Construction will begin "soon," according to a press release, with service expected to launch for the 2025/2026 school year. The project is being funded through E-Rate, a Universal Service Fund (USF) program that supports schools and libraries with telecommunications costs.

Related:The Divide: How Surf Internet is growing its fiber footprint in the Great Lakes region

All Points, Dominion Energy, NNEC reach unserved Virginians

All Points Broadband completed its fiber-to-the-home build in partnership with Dominion Energy Virginia and the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative (NNEC). The new fiber network now connects more than 10,000 previously unserved locations in King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties. The project was funded with a mix of private investment and federal and state grants, via the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI), representing more than $120 million in new infrastructure investment overall, according to a press release.

Metronet live in Marion Oaks, Florida; work underway in Ohio

Metronet this week shared progress on its fiber buildouts in parts of Florida and Ohio. In Florida, the company's services are live for initial residents in the Marion Oaks region, where Metronet began construction this past summer. The company said it will continue to expand "neighborhood by neighborhood." Over in Stow, Ohio, Metronet said it expects to break ground "soon" on a multimillion-dollar fiber project that will deliver connectivity to its first customers this year. Also in Ohio, Metronet said it plans to break ground in Silver Lake "early this year" to connect its first customers in the region this spring. Metronet is funded by KKR and Oak Hill Capital. Last year, KKR and T-Mobile announced a joint venture to acquire Metronet, with Oak Hill Capital expected to retain a minority position.

Mediacom makes progress in Baldwin County, Alabama

Mediacom is live in parts of Baldwin County, Alabama. The company said more than 700 underserved homes and businesses in Bay Minette and Silverhill can now access its broadband network as a result of a $9 million public-private partnership (Mediacom was awarded grants from Alabama's share of capital projects fund for this and other projects). The company commenced construction on the 143-mile fiber network in May 2024, and it began launching initial services in November. Construction will continue throughout the year.

Spectrum live for more rural Tennesseans

Charter's Spectrum services went live for more than 1,800 homes and businesses in McNairy County, Tennessee. That follows news earlier this month that Spectrum launched in McMinn and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, reaching 3,100 rural locations. The builds are part of the company's multi-year expansion effort across the rural US.

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The Buildout

About the Author

Nicole Ferraro

Editor, host of 'The Divide' podcast, Light Reading

Nicole covers broadband's impact on society, with a focus on policy and the digital divide. She hosts The Divide on the Light Reading Podcast and tracks broadband builds in The Buildout column.

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