Fiber Roundup 5/2: Fibertech, Zayo, Syringa, Lumos

Time for a quick look at a few stories from the metro and regional fiber space over the past few days from Fibertech, Zayo, Syringa, and Lumos:

Fibertech (news) has joined the growing list of fiber operators that have built fiber into the new NJ1 facility of Dupont Fabros Technology (NYSE:DFT, news, filings) in Piscataway. Fibertech makes less noise than others in the sector, but they’ve been out there digging up as many streets as anybody – especially a bit further south in southern NJ, Philadelphia, and Maryland of late.

While its AboveNet purchase gets top billing, Zayo Group (news, filings) has already closed its parallel purchase of Arialink. The deal boosts Zayo’s presence in Michigan substantially, as Lansing immediately becomes one of the company’s densest markets. Arialink was already building fiber for a 190 route mile healthcare network which sounds like it will fit in quite well with Zayo’s expansion plans.

Out in Idaho, regional fiber operator Syringa Networks has acquired a complementary wireless service provider: Syringa Wireless. If the name overlap sounds like a coincidence, well it’s not really of course. Both companies were founded by an overlapping (but not identical) list of independent iLECS in Idaho, and thus were siblings of a sort – one for regional fiber needs and the other for regional wireless needs.  The combined company will be better able to serve the converging communications needs of regional businesses.  It’s interesting to see an integrated regional wireless/wireline provider assembled just six months after we saw a similar such entity in an unloved geography voluntarily disassemble itself into independent wireless and wireline companies a few thousand miles further east (nTelos/Lumos).

And speaking of Lumos Networks (NASDAQ:LMOS, news, filings) has a new CEO. Former iPCS Chairman Timothy Blitz will take the reins, which had been held by interim CEO James Hyde since the company split off from nTelos last fall. Meanwhile, Michael Moneymaker is retiring from his position as President and also from the Board of Directors. The company also announced a cash dividend of $0.14 per share.

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Categories: Mergers and Acquisitions · Metro fiber