The Buildout: New networks from Surf, GoNetspeed, Breezeline and more

Surf Internet has started construction on a fiber network in Knox, Indiana. The $2 million project will bring broadband to 1,200 locations this year and will expand to 1,600 in 2024, according to a press release. Surf will invest $2 million and will further leverage $79,500 in state grant funding, awarded this month, to connect 20 addresses in rural Starke County.

GoNetspeed announced plans to build a fiber network in East Hartford, Connecticut. The company, which is backed by Oak Hill Capital, will fund the $2.7 million project to deliver broadband to more than 6,700 locations. In a press release, GoNetspeed said service will be available "as early as winter of 2023 with construction expected to begin this fall."

Breezeline this week said it will expand its fiber network to 1,200 unserved homes and businesses in King William County, Virginia, next year. The build is part of the company's commitment through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). In a press release, Breezeline said the project is being funded with $1.5 million from RDOF and an investment from Breezeline. Construction is expected to begin this fall, according to a press release. This is in addition to the company's receipt of $15.2 million through the state's Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant program to reach nearly 7,500 unserved homes and businesses in eastern Caroline County and Essex County, said Breezeline.

Kinetic by Windstream announced that more than 1,700 homes, businesses and schools in Oswego County, New York, have access to the company's fiber broadband network, increasing Kinetic's presence in the region by 40%. Separately, Kinetic announced a fiber network launch in the Pennsylvania counties of Northumberland and Union, bringing broadband to 2,600 homes, businesses and schools, and increasing the provider's presence by 45%. Both projects are part of Kinetic's $2 billion, multi-year investment to expand gigabit fiber service in 18 states, said the company in news releases.

Comcast announced this week that it is building out its Xfinity 10G network in Aiken County, South Carolina, with plans to connect more than 2,000 underserved homes and businesses by October 1. The company will then connect an additional 2,500 by the end of 2023, according to local reporting. Separately this week, Comcast announced upgrades to its 10G network that will deliver 2 Gbit/s download speeds in Tennessee, where the company says it has "invested nearly $629 million in technology and infrastructure improvements" in the last three years.

Google Fiber announced this week that its 5 Gbit/s service, which launched in a handful of markets earlier this year, is rolling out for customers in North Carolina for $125 a month. The company did not specify a timeline but said it is "continuing to roll out both 5 Gig and 8 Gig products across all our cities."

C Spire announced last week that it has made fiber available to 2,000 homes and 400 businesses in Montgomery, Alabama. The company, which is spending $500 million over three years on fiber infrastructure and network development in Alabama, plans to install fiber to nearly 3,000 homes in the next construction phase.