As Southern Light moves forward with being acquired by Uniti Fiber, the service provider has racked up new E-Rate wins with 10 school districts in three Southeast states.
These school districts will receive a mix of high-speed internet and wide area network (WAN) connections through federal E-Rate funding.
Southern Light noted that 80% of the E-Rate wins are new customers, while Baldwin County Public Schools and Mobile County Public Schools represent major secured rebids for the company.
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“We continue to work tirelessly to provide reliable broadband service to schools,” said Andy Newton, president and CEO of Southern Light, in a release. “Providing access to all students is the fastest way to eliminate the digital divide between those who have broadband access and those who are left behind.”
| Southern Light E-rate wins | ||
| School | Service Type | State |
| Apalachicola Bay Charter | internet service | Florida |
| Archdiocese of Biloxi | internet service | Mississippi |
| Baldwin County Public Schools | WAN, internet service | Alabama |
| Biloxi Public School District | WAN, internet service | Mississippi |
| Greene County School District | WAN, internet service | Mississippi |
| Jackson County School District | WAN, internet service | Mississippi |
| Mobile County Public Schools | WAN, internet service | Alabama |
| Pascagoula Gautier School District | internet service | Mississippi |
| Poplarville School District | WAN, internet service | Mississippi |
| St. John the Baptist | internet service | Louisiana |
| (Source: Southern Light) |
Southern Light is in the middle of being purchased by Uniti, a deal that will immediately increase Uniti’s scale with about $250 million in new annual revenue. Additionally, the company expects $12.5 million in opex synergies to be achieved over the next 18-24 months.
Uniti told investors during the recent 45th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference that it is already seeing network synergies form Southern Light for a fiber build it is conducting in Mississippi, for example.
Uniti will be able leverage 100 additional miles from Southern Light for one of its utility company customers.