WideOpenWest picks Seminole County, FL as its 1st greenfield area for FTTP deployments

Like so many legacy and regional telcos, cablecos,  WideOpenWest (WOW) [1.] is pursuing aggressive fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployments. The company is targeting a part of Seminole County, Florida located near Orlando, as the first area for its ambitious plan to deploy FTTP Internet access to greenfield areas.  Cableco Charter Communications currently provides broadband internet service to Seminole County.

This new expansion is part of the company’s larger Greenfield initiative to build new markets non-adjacent to its existing network and bring its advanced fiber technology and award-winning customer service to customers across its growing footprint. WOW! already serves Pinellas County and Panama City in Florida and identified Seminole County as a new community ripe for innovation and growth. The company plans to reach more than 60,000 homes passed upon completion of the project.

Note 1.  WideOpenWest is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, and broadband Internet services, and IPTV. As of December 31, 2020, WOW! has about 850,600 subscribers.  They offer up to 1 Gb/sec downstream fiber internet service in some areas.

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WOW estimates it will invest at least $60 million in the county for its FTTP deployment. The estimated cost of $1,000 per passing is consistent with prior expectations.

“We are excited to announce Seminole County as the first service area to kick off our Greenfield initiative,” said Teresa Elder, CEO of WOW!. “We are delighted to offer communities in Seminole County a better broadband choice so they can work, learn and be entertained using WOW!’s multi-Gig fiber-to-the-home network. Area residents and businesses will be pleasantly surprised by our reliable network, super-fast speeds and choice of exceptional products to meet their broadband usage needs.”

Work on the new all-fiber infrastructure in Seminole County has already begun. Once completed, customers will benefit from WOW!’s innovative technology and product suite that provides the best in choice, reliability, speed and value. Customers will have access to multi-Gig HSD service, WOW!’s fastest broadband speed available, home and business WiFi solutions to support streaming, remote work and small business needs as well as WOW! tv+, its premier IP-based video service.

“Investing in Seminole county is investing in its community, its people, and its growth,” said Kirk Zerkle, VP of Market Expansion at WOW!. “We are thrilled to give residents and businesses in Seminole County the service they deserve. We know how important it is to be connected in every aspect of our lives and look forward to WOW! becoming an integral part of this county.”

The selection of Seminole county comes almost two months after WOW announced that building FTTP networks to greenfield markets [2.] will play a big role in fueling growth over the next five years. WOW recently sold off a handful of systems for $1.8 billion to help fund this growth initiative. The company intends to build out fiber networks to greenfield areas passing at least 200,000 homes and businesses by 2027, with the potential to expand that to 400,000 locations.

Note 2.  WOW has identified greenfield areas as those that are not-adjacent to its existing markets which have low density. The company expects to announce additional greenfield markets later this year.

WOW! continues to pursue expansion opportunities across the country and expects to announce additional markets later this year.

“We’ve reached an inflection point in the industry where fiber-to-the-home build costs have reached parity with HFC [hybrid fiber/coax],” Henry Hryckiewicz, WOW’s chief technology officer, explained at an investor day held in December 2021.

About WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone:
WOW! is one of the nation’s leading broadband providers, with an efficient, high-performing network that passes 1.9 million residential, business and wholesale consumers. WOW! provides services in 14 markets, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

With an expansive portfolio of advanced services, including high-speed Internet services, cable TV, phone, business data, voice, and cloud services, the company is dedicated to providing outstanding service at affordable prices. WOW! also serves as a leader in exceptional human resources practices, having been recognized eight times by the National Association for Business Resources as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For, winning the award for the last four consecutive years.

Source: WideOpenWest

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Please visit wowway.com for more information.

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WOW! Media Contact:
Jamie Mayer
[email protected]

References:

https://ir.wowway.com/investor-relations/news/press-release-details/2022/WOW-Announces-that-Seminole-County-Florida-will-be-its-First-Greenfield-Market-Expansion/default.aspx

https://www.lightreading.com/opticalip/wows-first-fttp-greenfield-move-is-in-seminole-county-florida/d/d-id/775111?

https://www.lightreading.com/cable-tech/wow-to-go-on-offensive-with-greenfield-fttp-builds/d/d-id/774055