After acquisition, Rochester firm to expand fiber network across Southern Tier

PHOTO CREDIT: GREENLIGHT NETWORKS FACEBOOK PAGE

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — With its recent acquisition of Plexicomm, LLC, Rochester–based Greenlight Networks believes it now has the platform to expand its fiber network across the Southern Tier. The firm plans to provide high-speed fiber internet to 30,000 homes in the region by the end of 2022. Greenlight Networks on June 30 held a news […]

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — With its recent acquisition of Plexicomm, LLC, Rochester–based Greenlight Networks believes it now has the platform to expand its fiber network across the Southern Tier.

The firm plans to provide high-speed fiber internet to 30,000 homes in the region by the end of 2022.

Greenlight Networks on June 30 held a news conference in Binghamton to announce the completion of its acquisition of Plexicomm, a Binghamton–based internet-service provider. 

Greenlight Networks describes itself as the “fastest fiber-to-the-home provider in New York State,” per its news release. It didn’t provide any financial details of its acquisition agreement in the news release.

Founded in 2003, Plexicomm was the first company to bring residential fiber to the area and grew to become a regional leader with service available to more than 5,000 homes and hundreds of businesses. 

Greenlight plans to invest $25 million to enhance and expand this high-speed fiber optic network to additional neighborhoods and communities throughout Binghamton and across the Broome and Tioga County areas, the acquiring company said.

“We are excited to finalize the acquisition of Plexicomm and announce an investment that represents a strategic opportunity to bring New York’s fastest Internet to my hometown of Binghamton,” Greenlight CEO Mark Murphy, a Binghamton native, said. “Born and raised in this town, with friends and family still here, I have an affinity and appreciation for this community. We welcome the quality people and the valuable network infrastructure Plexicomm has built over the past 17 years into the Greenlight team and will quickly be growing our workforce and network reach in the Binghamton area.”

All 13 Plexicomm employees have transitioned to roles within Greenlight Networks. The acquired staff increases Greenlight’s employee count to 114, the company tells CNYBJ in an email message. The company plans to add an additional 25 positions across its business by the end of 2022 to support growth plans in the Southern Tier region. 

Greenlight’s network expansion in the area will be led by Plexicomm’s founder Dan English, who has assumed the position of Greater Binghamton region general manager for Greenlight. 

“Greenlight is dedicated to revolutionizing how customers connect and use the Internet, while making it cost friendly and as efficient as possible,” English said. “When the opportunity for Plexicomm to partner with Greenlight presented itself, it made perfect sense. This partnership means accelerated expansion in Binghamton, reaching more potential customers that are eager for high-speed Internet services, in addition to benefiting the community in other ways including job creation.”

Greenlight Networks launched in Rochester in 2011. Businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano acquired a controlling interest in Greenlight Networks in mid-2018. Since then, Greenlight has tripled its staff and brought high-speed fiber internet to more than 50,000 homes in 14 municipalities. The company “builds, owns and operates” its fiber-optic networks, per its news release.         

Eric Reinhardt: