Oxford Networks kicked off the new year with some exciting news.
Oak Hill Capital Partners recently acquired Oxford Networks, and has combined its operations with FirstLight Fiber. Oak Hill Capital Partners has been crafting partnerships with exceptional corporations, management teams, and entrepreneurs since 1986, and is excited about the possibility this combination creates for employees, customers, and stakeholders. This development created one of the largest fiber-optic networks and facilities-based service providers in the Northeast. Headquartered in Albany, New York, FirstLight is a leading provider of internet, high-speed data, data center, and voice services for enterprise and carrier customers delivered over its own fiber optic network.
The combined network consists of 415,000 fiber miles located in 5 states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York. In addition, the company now operates 10 geographically diverse data centers that provide sophisticated cloud, managed, and colocation services.
Through the network consolidation between Oxford and FirstLight, customers will have access to:
- A comprehensive portfolio of communications services specifically designed to support customers’ needs
- A 5,000-route-mile, high-capacity fiber-optic network
- A geographical footprint spanning five states
- 4,400 locations currently connected to our high-capacity network with thousands more that are serviceable
- 10 data centers — many of them SOC2 compliant — with a combined 120,000 square feet of space and providing managed, cloud, and colocation services
How Our Consolidation Will Benefit You, Our Customer
We beleive the marriage between Oxford and FirstLight is great for our customers. Through this combination, we have expanded our network reach and enhanced our capabilities while maintaining our commitment to providing the communications services our customers need to thrive in the digital age. Our solutions are backed by high-quality, locally-based service and support so you can be confident that should an issue arise, one of our local experts can quickly resolve it.
In our case, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, and here’s how:
- We can share our combined knowledge and incorporate best practices to continue to deliver enhanced services, knowledge and expertise to our customers
- Newly consolidated network, with expanded colocation opportunities
- Commitment to fiber expansion: We plan to maintain and grow the best fiber-optic network throughout the Northeast
FirstLight & Oxford: Committed to Local Community Representation
We understand the critical importance of local support, service, and community participation. The consolidation of FirstLight and Oxford Networks is a win for the community because of our shared desire to maintain that local touch that makes interacting with us gratifying. Both companies were active in supporting the local community through philanthropic activities, and sought to hire people who live and work in the community — so they know how to get things done, and that commitment will continue now as one stronger organization.
Insights from Leadership
- “FirstLight and Oxford are highly complementary in terms of fiber footprint, service set, customer base, employee expertise, and mission, which will ease integration efforts. We expect this to be a seamless transaction for our customers and significantly enhance our operating platform as we continue to grow the business.”
Kurt Van Wagenen, President and CEO of FirstLight Fiber - “Serving our customers has always been our main priority, and we are confident that combined with FirstLight, we are better positioned to continue to do so. We look forward to working together to realize the promise that this combination creates.”
Craig Gunderson, President and CEO of Oxford Networks - “Closing the acquisition of Oxford is an important milestone for both FirstLight and Oak Hill. This transaction represents an exciting next step in our plan to create the leading fiber provider in the Northeastern U.S. The combined company, along with the previously announced acquisition of Sovernet Communications, will form an entity that has an exceptional foundation to serve the needs of both regional enterprises and communications carriers.”
Scott Baker and Benjy Diesbach, Partners at Oak Hill and members of the FirstLight Board of Directors
Join us next week for Part 2 on this topic, and learn more about our new partners.
If you want to discuss the exciting possibilities that we’ve created for your business with this consolidation, why not give us a call at 1-800-520-9911.
