Nextlink Acquires Connecting Point ISP
FORT WORTH, Texas, and NORFOLK, Neb. – Nextlink Internet of Hudson Oaks, Texas, today announced it is acquiring the internet service business of Norfolk, Nebraska-based Connecting Point (ConPoint). The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nextlink is a provider of high-speed internet and voice services to residential, business, institutional and government customers in mostly rural and small-town areas using a mix of fixed wireless and fiber-optic network technologies. The company’s roots are in Texas and Oklahoma, but in recent weeks it has announced plans to expand into Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. The company plans to use the ConPoint network and workforce as its platform to expand in Nebraska.
Since its founding in 2012, Nextlink has attracted more than 36,000 broadband subscribers using solely private capital to invest in its networks. In 2018, Nextlink won a competitive bid for $281 million in support over 10 years from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Connect America Fund (CAF), which will help the company deploy broadband services to more than 100,000 homes and businesses across the six states.
Established in 1987, Connecting Point provides internet service, network management, workstation management, and other services from its home base in Norfolk, Nebraska.
Bill Baker, CEO of Nextlink, said, “ConPoint is a great fit with Nextlink in terms of the breadth of its service territory, its dedication to customer service, and overall cultural fit between the organizations. We will begin work immediately to expand that service area and upgrade the existing networks so that customers can access more advanced applications such as video conferencing and streaming. Our plans call for the upgrades to be completed by the end of Q3 2020,” Baker added.
Dan Spray, President of ConPoint, said, “The combination of Nextlink’s expertise and federal dollars will be great for our state and our local communities. We are excited that our customers will benefit from the expansion and upgrade of our networks, and we’re very pleased that we will be able to utilize the same staff that everyone has known for years while creating more jobs in the Norfolk area.”
The transaction follows the recent announcement that Nextlink has joined Microsoft’s Airband initiative, which will bring additional technology and resources to Nebraska.