Regional U.S. operator C Spire inked a deal to buy Alabama broadband provider Troy Cablevision, netting hundreds of miles of fiber as it works to expand its footprint in the state.
C Spire said in a press release the deal will accelerate a previously announced plan to invest $1 billion to broaden its fiber coverage across Mississippi and Alabama. Hu Meena, C Spire’s CEO, stated Troy Cablevision’s “high quality, fiber optic-based infrastructure positions us very effectively to deliver broadband fiber services throughout" the latter.
Founded in 1985, Troy Cablevision began deploying fiber in 1993 and boasts 595-mile network which covers 2,521 square miles across four counties in the southeast corner of Alabama, according to its website. That network serves 136,000 people and nearly 3,700 businesses. The website indicated its fiber “supports 10G and beyond” and the company also has transport infrastructure that stretches from Dallas, Texas on one end and Atlanta, Georgia on the other.
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The terms of the deal were not disclosed and C Spire did not provide a timeline for the transaction’s close. Meena noted, though, the acquisition is not expected to result in any layoffs given C Spire’s expansion plan.
A C Spire representative declined to comment on the deal beyond what was in the press release.
The operator’s purchase of Troy Cablevision is its second acquisition in Alabama in the past year. A deal to buy Harbor Communications which was announced in December 2020 closed in June.
C Spire launched its first fiber market in Alabama in December 2020 and has been working to bring service to several additional towns since then as it strives to reach a total of 24 markets in the state by 2025.
In June, executives told Fierce finding available backhaul was proving to be a challenge as it moved ahead. The operator subsequently announced plans to build a 243-mile metro and long-haul fiber route connecting Meridian in eastern Mississippi to the city of Homewood in central Alabama.