Home» Merger expands Minnesota fiber optic network to 3,900 miles

Fiber Minnesota LLC said it has merged with two other fiber optic transmission operators, Broadband Visions (BBV) and SM Broadband (SMB), to create one of the largest transmission networks in the state.

The new entity will operate under the Fiber Minnesota brand. It will have 3,900 miles of arterial routes, which is 60% more than the network before the relocation.

A press release stated that the newly formed company will cover "almost all corners of the state," including rural areas that are often left behind and have redundant connections. The company also pointed out that the merger is justified because the principal shares multiple shareholders and there is significant overlap.

Members of BBV and SMB are now shareholders of Fiber Minnesota. Most members are operating companies/Internet service providers serving rural areas of the state. Member companies are also from South Dakota and North Dakota.

BBV will continue to operate its video front-end and Internet service departments. SMB has been fully integrated into Fiber Minnesota.

Glenn Zerbe, chairman of the BBV board of directors and president of Nuvera Communications (one of the owners of Minnesota Fiber Optics), said in a press release that a broad ownership base is an advantage. "Consumers and institutions, especially those in rural areas, will experience a higher degree of reliability of broadband and related services. These three networks complement each other, and their combination eliminates redundancy and provides greater With the development of the transmission network industry, the ability to maintain more network traffic is imperative."

Fiber Minnesota initially stood out from the acquisition of the West Central Transport Group (WCTG) fiber network by the fiber network operator Cooperative Network Services (CNS) last year and the integration of the two networks.

CNS's acquisition of WCTG occurred in July 2020.

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