FirstLight is taking its collection of recent fiber network acquisitions of Oxford Communications and ION Communications and rebranding them under the FirstLight name, reflecting the Northeast provider’s desire to provide a consistent look and feel for its customers.
The service provider said that the rebranding is the next step in its integration process following Oak Hill Capital Partners’ recently completed acquisitions of Oxford Networks and Sovernet Communications. Additionally, FirstLight plans to sunset the Sovernet Communications brand in the coming weeks.
“Rebranding to a single company name 'FirstLight' represents another significant milestone in our integration process to create one team with a singular focus on continuing to provide outstanding service and support to our customers,” said Kurt Van Wagenen, president and CEO of FirstLight, in a release.
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FirstLight has continued to grow its regional fiber network serving enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast via a mix of organic network builds and targeted acquisitions of regional fiber providers.
Besides Oxford and ION, FirstLight is also in the process of acquiring Finger Lakes Technologies Group (FLTG), a subsidiary of Trumansburg Telephone Company, a purchase that will deepen its fiber network reach for business customers in New York.
To date, FirstLight’s network connects more than 5,000 locations in service with an additional 20,000 locations serviceable by its 9,600-route mile network. When it completes the acquisition of Finger Lakes Technologies Group, the company will then operate a regional network consisting of about 12,000 route miles of high-capacity fiber in six states and Canada, with more than 7,000 on-net locations and 12 data centers totaling more than 225,000 square feet of space strategically located throughout its footprint.
FirstLight’s bet on fiber expansion is continuing to pay off.
The service provider recently won a long-term dark fiber contract with a large wireless operator to implement a new cloud RAN (C-RAN) system to support a small cell deployment in northern New England. It will support wireless services in Manchester, New Hampshire; Biddeford, Maine; and Burlington, Vermont.