An acquisition agreement has been signed between AT&T and UP Fiber, Inc. The agreement gives all AT&T’s wireline assets in the Upper Peninsula to the company. This also includes assets in Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City.
“We’re now putting in place plans to aggressively deploy capital, new capital, into improving service across the U.P.,” UP Fiber Inc. CEO Dan Miller said.
UP Fiber is receiving 9,000 miles of copper, 1,500 miles of business fiber, and 40 wire centers worth of network infrastructure. This provides 9,000 residential and business customers with service. UP Fiber says in working to provide more internet coverage, it’s also in the early stages of a service agreement with Michigan Broadband Services.
“We’ve started our own construction team in-house and we are laying fiber,” Michigan Broadband Services President Phil Truran said. “We’ve built in Escanaba, we’ve built in St. Ignace... we’ve just been really investing in fiber infrastructure.”
Currently, the agreement has MBS handling sales, marketing, and technical support to UP Fiber. Miller also notes that the company is working with AT&T to freeze current costs. This will allow for ‘more attractive’ options at lower costs to be offered when the transition is complete.
“If you’re a customer of AT&T now in the covered territory, stick with it a little bit longer,” Miller added. “Because we’re coming to help, both in terms of service, function and affordability.”
Miller says the transaction needs to be approved by various bodies like the state Framework Classification Code, but hopes to begin work and offer products within the next few months.
Meanwhile, AT&T says it will continue maintaining its wireless and mobile services. “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,” AT&T Greater Lakes Vice President and General Manager Brian West wrote in a statement. “We’ll work closely with our customers with wireline services in the region to provide a seamless transition to UP Fiber.”
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