A startup fiber open-access internet service provider that launched its Florida market presence in St. Petersburg and Lakeland is going into new Sunshine State markets, including North Port in south Sarasota County.
The company, Tillman FIber, has started service in North Port, Kissimmee and Deltona, as well as Hernando County, according to a statement. Residents there, the release adds, can now connect to the gigabit-speed internet through a partnership with T-Mobile Fiber. The effort, the company says, is part of its “ambitious, billion-dollar expansion strategy to provide residential fiber internet access across Florida.”
“This launch underscores our commitment to delivering world-class fiber internet infrastructure to communities that need it,” Tillman Fiber CEO Ed Chan says in the release.
Tillman successfully connected its first customers in St. Pete and Lakeland and now aims to make its fiber network available to 100,000 homes across Florida in this phase of development. Building on its West Coast presence, Tillman next plans to go to the state’s East Coast, with near-term expansions including Palm Beach County and the City of Sunrise.
Founded in 2021, Tillman Fiber designs, builds and operates a 100% Fiber to the Premise network that delivers symmetrical gigabit broadband internet access and services to residential and commercial customers. Tillman is backed by Tillman Global Holdings and Northleaf Capital Partners, which have committed over $500 million of equity capital to fund the Company’s 10,000+ miles fiber network buildout. Additionally, Tillman has secured up to $1 billion in debt financing from a consortium of leading banks.