Ziply takes over Frontier locally

HAYDEN — Ziply Fiber finalized its acquisition of the Northwest operations of Frontier Communications in a $1.35 billion trans-action Thurs-day. An addi-tional half-billion dollars will be used to address network and service improvements, the company announced.

Nearly 500,000 residential and business internet, phone and/or TV subscribers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana have become Ziply Fiber customers.

According to Ziply Fiber CEO Harold Zeitz, there will be no customer or employee disruption while rates remain the same in the transition.

The company expects to get to work creating commercial-grade internet for all subscribers, as more people are working and schooling from home during the pandemic.

“The need is greater,” Zeitz said. “We will create a dual fiber path … a new purposeful design to get customers as fast as possible connectivity.”

Ziply Fiber’s primary service offerings will be 1GB/sec fiber internet and phone for residential customers, business fiber internet and Ziply voice services for small businesses, and a variety of internet, networking and voice solutions for enterprise customers.

The company also will continue to support DSL and TV customers while expanding the fiber network over the next several years.

The deal, which encompasses the areas served by Frontier in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, impacts more than one million people who use Frontier Communications as their internet, phone and/or TV service provider at home or at work.

Ziply Fiber, under the holding company name of Northwest Fiber, has committed to start service improvements, investing an initial $100 million into core network improvements and in fiber build-out projects in all four states.

Fiber service now passes within a few feet of 31% of the more than 1.6 million residential and business locations in what will be Ziply Fiber’s territory. The company’s goal is to increase the number of fiber-passed locations to more than 80% in the next few years.

Fiber network installation will begin in Idaho this month, but Zeitz was unable to specify in what cities and towns.

Ziply Fiber is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., and has an office in Hayden. The executive team consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink and Wave Broadband.