Press release May 1, 2020 | Original article here.
By Amy Edelen | amye@spokesman.com | (509) 459-5581
Kirkland-based Ziply Fiber recently closed on its acquisition of Frontier Communications’ Northwest operations.
Under the $1.35 billion acquisition, which was finalized Thursday, more than 500,000 residential and business internet, television and voice customers in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon now will be served by Ziply Fiber, according to a company news release.
The company says its first priority is upgrading and growing its network in the Northwest by investing more than $500 million in improvements. Many of the projects will be slated for small and rural towns often overlooked by national providers, according to the release.
Its primary offerings will be fiber internet and phone service for residential and business customers. It will also offer a variety of internet, voice and networking services for enterprise customers. The company is also continuing to support digital subscriber line, or DSL, and television customers.
Ziply Fiber services pass near more than 1.7 million residential and business locations in its territory.
“We intend to bring fiber to a lot more of our communities,” Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber, said in a statement. “Currently, just over 30% of the businesses and homes we pass have the ability to connect to our fiber today. Our goal is to add a lot more fiber in the coming months and years so that nearly 85% of homes and businesses can get the internet they deserve.”
Ziply Fiber retained more than 900 former Frontier Communications employees and is planning to hire 200 additional workers.
WaveDivision Capital and Searchlight Capital Partners, a global investment firm, formed a partnership last year to purchase Frontier Communications’ Northwest operations.
The sale received regulatory approval earlier this year in Washington, Oregon and Montana. WaveDivision and Searchlight Capital Partners were not required to file for approval in Idaho because its public utilities commission does not regulate broadband rates.
Ziply Fiber, in addition to its Kirkland headquarters, also has offices in Everett, WA Hayden, ID and Beaverton, OR.