A Tillman Global Holdings unit and private equity firm Northleaf Capital Partners have agreed to a $500m deal to fund fibre optic network construction and provide wholesale broadband infrastructure to homes and businesses.

Northleaf has made an initial $200 million investment in the partnership and will invest as much as $300 million more as Tillman FiberCo. LLC expands its operations, according to a statement reviewed by Bloomberg News. The venture has signed a large anchor tenant that will sell internet services to customers, according to the statement, which doesn’t identify the service provider.

New York-based Tillman FiberCo is part of a communications infrastructure business founded by Chairman Sanjiv Ahuja, a former chief executive officer of Orange SA. The fiber network being built will be open to multiple tenants and service providers, said Tillman Global Holdings President Sachit Ahuja, who is the chairman’s son.

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The fibre venture is initially targeting small businesses, single-family homes and apartment buildings in parts of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Florida, according to Tillman FiberCo CEO Ken Dixon. Tillman FiberCo was started in 2021. Dixon was previously a president of Fios, Verizon Communications Inc.’s fibre business. Five of his top executives are Verizon veterans.

Source: BNN Bloomberg

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