CARNEY, Mich. (WZMQ) – UP Fiber, Inc. announced on Saturday, March 28 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AT&T’s (NYSE:T) wireline assets in the Upper Peninsula.
The wireline assets represent more than 9,000 miles of copper, 1,500 miles of business fiber, and network infrastructure across 40 wire centers that collectively provide voice and internet service to more than 9,000 residential and business customers.
“This is an exciting opportunity to accelerate the development of broadband communications for the people who live and work in the Upper Peninsula,” commented Dan Miller, Chief Executive Officer of UP Fiber. “We have an ambitious plan to invest in AT&T’s legacy copper network across the Upper Peninsula, build state-of-the-art fiber-optics, and upgrade customers to higher speed services that better meet their connectivity needs.”
UP Fiber will have a services agreement with Michigan Broadband Services, a subsidiary of MachTen, Inc, (OTC: MACT). Michigan Broadband Services will provide sales, marketing, billing and technical support to UP Fiber, significantly expanding the network it serves to more than 70,000 passings. AT&T customers will be serviced by Michigan Broadband following the close of the transaction.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with UP Fiber to bring our complete bundle of high-speed data, voice, streaming video and related services to the homes and businesses currently served by AT&T,” commented Phil Truran, President of Michigan Broadband. “Our commitment to customer service, supported by a dedicated and local team, has been long recognized for its excellence.”
“We’re committed to providing a great connectivity experience to Michigan customers and we’ll continue to invest in enhancing our wireless experience in the Upper Peninsula,” Brian West, Vice President & General Manager – Greater Lakes, AT&T. “We’ll work closely with our customers with wireline services in the region to provide a seamless transition to UP Fiber.”
Michigan Broadband currently serves more than 5,000 customers and is in the early stages of a $100 million capital investment in fiber-optic upgrades. UP Fiber and Michigan Broadband will collectively explore strategic opportunities to become the largest and most reliable broadband communications provider in the Upper Peninsula, with new product offerings and pricing tiers to be announced in the coming months.
Regular updates about network expansion will be shared at www.michbbs.com.
