FFB Week 30: Fidium Transforms New England’s Future with Fiber

Fidium Transforms New England’s Future with Fiber

A top 10 US fiber provider, Consolidated Communications operates a network spanning more than 67,000 fiber route miles across 20-plus states. Launched in 2021, Fidium, their fiber services brand, has already connected over a million locations – in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont – delivering multi-gig speeds, simple pricing, and an exceptional customer-first experience.

Consolidated Communications is accelerating its mission to bring robust broadband infrastructure to underserved and unserved communities across the United States. Speaking with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association during today’s Fiber for Breakfast, COO Gaurav Juneja outlined the company’s strategic vision, operational progress, and transformative impact in rural America, particularly in Northern New England.

“Our mission at Consolidated is to bring broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities throughout our footprint, and we truly believe that broadband infrastructure enables people to live, work and thrive in communities, specifically underserved and unserved communities, just so they don’t have to relocate into urban areas,” said Juneja.

With a focus on universal access, Consolidated is executing a fiber expansion strategy across three integrated business lines: consumer, commercial, and carrier. This holistic deployment model ensures that communities receive a comprehensive suite of services for homes, small businesses, schools, hospitals, public institutions, and more.

Currently, Consolidated passes 2.6 million locations, with 54%—or 1.4 million—already upgraded to fiber. The company’s target is to reach 80% fiber coverage (more than 2 million locations) by 2027-2028. A major enabler of this buildout is the company’s natural infrastructure advantage in Northern New England, where 90% of its plant is aerial and Consolidated holds joint ownership of these ports, they have unencumbered access to these poles. This allows the company to build quickly and economically—often completing full town builds in just 4-6 months compared to the industry average of 12-18 months.

Since the 2021 launch of Fidium, Consolidated has operated with a three-pillar strategy: delivering the fastest and most reliable network in its markets, providing an exceptional customer experience, and simplifying operations. Juneja emphasized that customer experience is embedded across all aspects of the company—from technical support to legal agreements—resulting in a company-wide, customer-first culture. This philosophy has led to an industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 45, significantly higher than traditional cable operators.

The customer experience improvements are bolstered by initiatives like the “City of Promise.” Juneja went on to explain, “It’s all about making sure that you can service customers expeditiously on installs and repairs. It’s making sure that when you provide service to customers, that service is certified by a technician. It’s really making sure that your IT stack, and your digital experience, is fully digitized. So, when customers, call you, there’s a single pane of glass where you know the records are kept in one place, and they have immediate access to everything that they need.”

Beyond residential service, Consolidated boasts a thriving commercial and carrier business. The company’s fiber backbone supports mission-critical services for enterprises, municipalities, and health institutions. Notably, 80% of carrier routes are unique in their towns, and the average commercial customer lifespan averages around 16 years—a testament to the value and reliability of their services.

“It’s great to be recognized,” Juneja stated. Consolidated’s success has been recognized by organizations like CNET, state broadband offices, and the U.S. Broadband Office, earning accolades for service excellence and impactful public-private partnerships. The company has secured over $225 million in subsidies since 2021 to fuel its fiber deployment in underserved areas, with strong collaboration from states like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. He also noted, “We’ve also had many of our employees or our associates be recognized for outstanding awards for service that they’ve done in their communities, such as the award for outstanding women in business. All of this to say we’re not done yet. We have a long way to go, but we’re well on our way on this journey to provide service to underserved communities in northern New England.”

A pivotal moment came in December 2024, when Consolidated transitioned from a publicly traded company to a privately held entity through a deeper partnership with Searchlight Capital. Juneja credits this move with streamlining the capital structure and accelerating fiber expansion, thanks to Searchlight’s operational expertise and shared commitment to the company’s mission. This strategic alignment has helped Consolidated tap into favorable private equity trends in infrastructure investment and secure significant funding to support its growth.

Looking forward, Consolidated is exploring M&A opportunities that could further extend fiber coverage beyond its 80% target. However, Juneja is clear: any acquisitions must offer strategic alignment, operational leverage, and proximity to existing infrastructure. For now, the company remains focused on reaching its 2 million fiber passings through organic growth.

To support its growing footprint, Consolidated is scaling both its internal workforce and external partnerships. Through a blend of internal hiring, learning and development programs, and long-term contracting agreements with engineering and construction firms, the company is addressing the surging demand for skilled labor for current and future builds.

Juneja wraps up with these final comments. “The last thing I’ll say is clearly our mission is to provide service to unserved and underserved communities and enrich how they live, work and thrive in their communities. And our vision is to be America’s favorite fiber provider, and that vision can only be realized, if not only by providing our service, but again, it goes back to the customer experience and really making sure that we can delight our customers across every interaction.”

Click here to listen to the full episode or find previous episodes of Fiber for Breakfast.

Click here to download the slides used in this episode.