Birch continues acquisition streak with AstroTel deal

Birch Communications is once again up to its M&A ways with its latest move to purchase the operating assets of Florida-based AstroTel.

By acquiring AstroTel, Birch adds an IP-based network that currently provides services to business and consumers in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota and Bradenton markets along Florida's west coast.

The deal--its fourteenth since 2006--should come as no surprise to anyone in the CLEC world.

Following its purchase of Cordia last fall, Birch CEO Vincent Oddo said that the company would seek out other deals to increase customer density and expand its IP network via what he calls "tuck-in" acquisitions and conducting its own internal network buildouts.

To make those growth dreams reality, the CLEC secured $77.5 million in new funding from Bank of America to be used for new acquisitions.

For more:
- see the release

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