Surf Internet announced Friday it raised $175 million in new equity funding and secured an upsized $300 million debt facility as it seeks to build out fiber in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. “The equity investment was led by Macquarie Capital, with participation from existing investors Bain Capital and Post Road Group,” the company said. “The debt upsize, led by DigitalBridge Credit, includes a new commitment from global investment group CDPQ, along with participation from Boundary Street Capital and Liberty Mutual Investments,” and builds on “Surf’s existing $200 million debt facility.”
TDS Telecom will target 1.8 million marketable fiber service addresses after ending 2024 with 928,000 total locations, the company announced Friday. The ISP laid out a long-term plan to increase its percentage of locations served by fiber to 80%, provide speeds of at least 1Gb to 95% of its footprint, and decrease its copper footprint to 5%. “We’ve been transforming into a fiber company in a big way for several years,” TDS CFO Kris Bothfeld said. “We’re now also focusing on streamlining our operations to enhance elements of our customer experience and further improve our margins and cost structure.”
Luminys on Monday disputed the FCC’s finding that the company was selling equipment from Dahua, which is on the agency's “covered list” of providers of unsecure gear (see 2502140040). Parts of the filing, in docket 25-85, were redacted. “The Commission should not revoke the equipment authorizations because Luminys made no false statements or representations,” Luminys said. “The equipment for which Luminys sought, and obtained, authorization is not ‘covered’ under the Commission’s rules, nor is any of the equipment described in these authorizations produced by an entity named on the Covered List.” The Public Safety Bureau’s “tentative determinations appear to be based purely on speculation, not evidence, and are wrong.”
The Communications Workers of America and Bandwidth separately opposed AT&T’s moves to close additional parts of its legacy copper network (see 2501310046). AT&T CEO John Stankey said in January that the carrier plans to file applications at the FCC to stop selling legacy products in about 1,300 wire centers, which is roughly a quarter of the AT&T footprint (see 2501270047). AT&T started the push during the last administration and is taking a more aggressive approach at the current FCC.
Teleperformance Group on Friday applied for “full certification” to provide video relay service eligible for compensation from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund. “Currently, ZP is operating pursuant to a conditional certification on an interim basis following the consummation of Teleperformance’s acquisition of ZP,” the company said in an application filed in docket 03-123.
Representatives from fiber company Arcadian met with an aide to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about the importance of programmatic agreements for building out infrastructure. Arcadian asked in particular about potential agreements with the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, said a filing posted Friday in docket 17-84. “Programmatic agreements would save time and money on projects by covering large swaths of land in one permit rather than having to pull permits for every small parcel involved in a project,” Arcadian said. “These agreements also have long-term benefits for future maintenance and repair work.”
The FCC should move cautiously in revising rules for pole attachments, representatives of infrastructure builder Extenet said in a meeting with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Commissioners approved a Further NPRM in 2023 about resolving pole attachment disputes more quickly (see 2312130044). “Extenet encouraged the Commission to focus on enforcing current regulations to promote transparency and communication, rather than repealing … regulations,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 17-84. “Current regulations balance the needs of both utilities and attachers and should be enforced.”
X-energy, a closely held nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company, has joined Incompas to support the group’s work on AI, Incompas said Thursday. “Collaboration is needed to address the energy needs for advanced technologies,” said Incompas CEO Chip Pickering. “A reliable, clean energy supply, leveraging advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors, promise the enhanced safety, flexibility and reliability to support AI’s growing energy requirements.”
The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector, also known as Team Telecom, notified the FCC this week that it's reviewing Bell Canada's proposed acquisition of Ziply Fiber (see 2412090045). The deal is straightforward, and “there is no significant risk to the transaction being approved,” New Street's Blair Levin said Thursday. But, he added, approval may get caught up in President Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs.
The FCC should stay the Wireline Bureau order denying AT&T’s request for review of Universal Service Administrative Co. decisions on recovering funds disbursed under the emergency broadband benefit (EBB) program (see 2501170042|), AT&T said in a request for stay filed Wednesday. The bureau’s denial order, which upheld USAC’s decision to recover EBB funds paid to AT&T, was “contrary to the statute that created the EBB Program and the Commission’s implementing rules,” AT&T said. If the denial order isn’t stayed while AT&T appeals it, USAC could continue recovery actions against AT&T. “Maintaining the status quo pending Commission action” on the appeal “will harm no party and serve the public interest by preventing a potential chilling effect on provider participation in current or future low-income subsidy programs,” AT&T said.