Brightspeed says its purchase of some assets from local exchange carrier Lumen Technologies should close in the fourth quarter now that the FCC has signed off on the deal.
Brightspeed says it secured all the state regulatory approvals as of the end of June for what it says will be a $2 billion investment in fiber-delivered internet and Wi-FI in the Midwest and Southeast, as well as some parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
It predicts that it will deliver fiber to an additional 3 million homes and businesses within the next five years thanks to the purchase, including many where fiber will be a new option.
It has been over a year since Lumen said it would be selling its operations in 20 states to Brightspeed.
Lumen retains operations in 16 states and its national fiber and networks in those states, as well as its current international business.
"The FCC's approval paves the way for Brightspeed to help close the digital divide in communities across the country that are most in need of high-quality broadband," said Tom Dailey, Brightspeed VP of public policy and government affairs, in a statement.
Brightspeed said it had been working on design and construction while it awaited FCC approval, and can now "hit the ground running."
