Brightspeed will build portions of its fiber optics network in Illinois and Michigan, offering internet and Wi-Fi to residential and business locations.
Brightspeed will deliver up to 14,000 new fiber passings in Knox County by 2023 during the first phase of network construction in Illinois. Brightspeed will add 31,000 fiber passings in Illinois state in subsequent years of the build, for a total of up to 45,000 fiber-enabled locations.

Brightspeed, as part of the expansion in Michigan, will achieve 10,000 new fiber passings in markets within Chippewa, Monroe, Saginaw, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, and Tuscola counties. The company plans to add 14,000 passings in future years of the build, for a total of over 24,000 fiber-enabled locations.

“We are eager to begin our ambitious fiber deployment in Illinois and Michigan. We believe customers will welcome a new competitive choice for internet and Wi-Fi,” said Sherry Hessenthaler, operations strategy lead for Brightspeed.

Brightspeed has outlined many of its state-specific build plans over the last several months and is well underway with network design and construction groundwork.

Brightspeed aims to invest at least $2 billion in its fiber optics transformation to reach up to 3 million homes and businesses over the next five years.

Brightspeed will leverage technology innovations and a unique distributed FTTP architecture designed for faster implementation and market availability of XGSPON-based internet services with symmetrical speeds that exceed 1Gbps.

Brightspeed plans to announce further state-specific fiber build plans in the coming weeks.