Network news roundup
July brought a mix of expansion, consolidation, and rising urgency around telecom infrastructure. From surging enterprise demand for network-as-a-service to billion-dollar fiber acquisitions and growing alarm over network vandalism, the month highlighted just how vital fast, secure, and adaptable connectivity has become. Meanwhile, federal leadership shifts signal new momentum for broadband funding, and the 2025 Esri User Conference showcased how GIS technology continues to reshape fiber planning, data integrity, and field operations.
Infrastructure & innovation
Lumen powers trans-Pacific JUNO cable with U.S. dark fiber build
Lumen Technologies will provide terrestrial backhaul for the JUNO Trans-Pacific Cable System, expected to be the highest-capacity subsea route between Japan and the U.S. Using 20 fiber pairs and delivering up to 350 Tbps, the JUNO system will support massive AI, cloud, and analytics workloads.
Source: Zacks Investment Research
Lumen’s dark fiber solution connects Grover Beach, CA, to San Jose and Los Angeles, creating a critical backbone for data movement between continents. The deal reflects growing demand for private fiber capacity as AI applications accelerate global network strain.
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Lumen counts nearly 1,000 NaaS customers as that business surges
Lumen is seeing surging demand for its network-as-a-service (NaaS) offering, reporting nearly 1,000 enterprise customers and $9 billion in private connectivity fabric (PCF) deals. Big-name adopters include Best Buy, Columbia, and Google Cloud.
CEO Kate Johnson said NaaS is becoming a major revenue driver, particularly as companies seek fast, secure connectivity for AI and multi-cloud workloads. The number of NaaS ports deployed rose 31% in Q2 alone. Lumen is also constructing 119 in-line amplifier (ILA) sites and has deployed over 1,200 miles of fiber. However, it continues to manage financial headwinds, posting a $915 million loss last quarter after selling its consumer fiber business.
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Verizon Frontline expands dedicated 5G service to first responders
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband “Network Slice” for public safety is now available in over 50 major U.S. markets. The slice provides first responders with dedicated, high-priority network capacity, offering enhanced reliability, optimized application performance, and guaranteed availability during high-traffic events. The move marks a milestone in network differentiation and traffic orchestration, showing how virtualized infrastructure can meet the unique needs of mission-critical users.
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M&A & market expansion
Bell Canada gets FCC green light to acquire Ziply Fiber
The FCC has approved Bell Canada’s $5.1B acquisition of Ziply Fiber, waiving foreign ownership restrictions and allowing the Canadian giant to expand its footprint across four U.S. states. With no service overlap, Bell will now operate over 9 million fiber locations—and up to 16 million through its new Network FiberCo venture. The move positions Bell as the third-largest fiber broadband provider in North America and highlights the ongoing trend of consolidation in the fiber market.
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Ezee Fiber to acquire Tachus, expand regional dominance in Houston
Houston-based Ezee Fiber, backed by I Squared Capital, is acquiring Tachus Fiber Internet and its 60,000 underground fiber subscribers. This is Ezee’s latest move in a $850 million multi-state expansion strategy that spans Texas, New Mexico, and Washington. The deal boosts its scale in northern Houston suburbs and sets the stage for broader national growth, as investors continue betting on regional providers to fill fiber coverage gaps.
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Security & policy
Operators call for stronger protections amid rising fiber vandalism
U.S. telecom operators are raising red flags over escalating fiber cuts, often driven by copper thieves targeting the wrong cables. Charter faced major outages in California, including service disruptions for military and emergency operations. Kinetic and AT&T echoed similar concerns, citing more than 5,700 incidents of infrastructure damage in late 2024 alone.
Source: NCTA Vandalism Report 2025
Industry groups are now urging states to update laws around critical infrastructure tampering, noting that most penalties remain outdated or insufficient.
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NTIA’s Arielle Roth is now officially in charge of BEAD
Arielle Roth, a former advisor to Sen. Ted Cruz and ex-FCC staffer, has been confirmed as the new head of the NTIA. Roth now leads the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, an initiative long stalled by administrative delays.
The Senate confirmation came just as the NTIA gave states the green light to begin new rounds of BEAD subgrantee selections. Industry groups are hopeful this signals real momentum and improved leadership for expanding broadband access across underserved communities.
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Recognition & global impact
Oman Broadband earns SAG Award for GIS innovation
At the 2025 Esri User Conference in San Diego, Oman Broadband was named a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award winner for its groundbreaking use of 3-GIS integrated with Esri platforms. The project centralized fiber network management into a single GIS environment, enhancing data accuracy, field productivity, and expansion planning. The initiative cut project timelines by 25%, enabled real-time mobile access for technicians, and aligned with national digital transformation goals, demonstrating the tangible ROI of geospatial investment.
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Numbers worth noting
- 350 Tbps — Total capacity of the JUNO cable between Japan and the U.S.
- 5,770 — U.S. infrastructure vandalism incidents reported in late 2024
- $5.1 billion — Value of Bell Canada’s Ziply acquisition
- 60,000+ — Subscribers served by Tachus in the Houston metro
- 50 — U.S. metro areas now served by Verizon’s dedicated 5G slice for first responders
- 25% — Reduction in FTTx project timelines achieved by Oman Broadband using GIS
- 1,200 miles — Long-haul fiber deployed by Lumen for private connectivity
- $9 billion — Value of Lumen’s private connectivity fabric (PCF) deals
- $42.5 billion — Total value of the BEAD broadband infrastructure program
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