Hargray Communications, a regional independent telco and cable operator, is acquiring Hawkinsville, Georgia-based ComSouth as part of an effort to enhance its presence in the Georgia market.
The family-owned ComSouth serves not only Hawkinsville, but also nine other cities, including: Perry, Fort Valley, Cochran, Unadilla, Pinehurst, Marshallville, Kathleen, Bonaire and Warner Robins.
Set to close in the second quarter this year, the acquisition will add additional residential and commercial customers to Hargray's expanding network in Georgia.
RELATED: Hargray enters managed services market via iTech acquisition
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Enhancing consumer, business services
To ensure a quality of experience for consumer and business customers, Hargray said it will make various new investments to enhance service capabilities in both domains.
David Armistead, SVP of Hargray Communications, said the transition for ComSouth’s customers should be a smooth one.
“We intend to invest heavily in ComSouth's network to deliver the same high-quality suite of residential and commercial services and customer support that we are known for in South Carolina and Georgia,” Armistead said in a release.
Over the next year, Hargray will dedicate additional financial resources to grow ComSouth's network to provide next-generation products and services to its residential customers like 1 Gbps internet, Stellar TV (an enhanced television experience), access to a prime selection of programs on-the-go with an expanded TV Everywhere streaming content, and telephone service featuring nationwide local calling and additional calling features.
For business customers, the service provider will offer an enhanced set of data, voice and video services including hosted IP/PBX and VoIP service, Metro-Ethernet and Symmetrical Internet, and video services customized for business customers.
An evolving provider
Like other independent telcos, Hargray has continued to evolve organically and through acquisitions of regional telcos and cable systems. Some of its other notable acquisitions include Charter Communications’ Beaufort cable system.
Hargray later added a full suite of data center services with the acquisition of iTech, a Savannah, Georgia-based managed-services company. In 2015, Hargray acquired Plantation Cablevision in Georgia’s Lake Oconee region.
Over the past seven years, Hargray has made $110 million in capital investments, including the installation of nearly 175 miles of fiber to provide advanced business services in the Savannah area.
The service provider itself has also been a target of private equity firms who see value in having a stake in the telecom provider industry.
In 2007, Hargray was acquired by Quadrangle Capital Partners, which unsuccessfully attempted to sell the service provider in 2010 with a price tag of $400 million. Later, The Pritzker Organization acquired Hargray in 2017.