NineStar Connect to Acquire Gem Water Utility, Expand Fiber Service
NineStar Connect, a smart utility providing water, sewer, electric and high speed fiber services, has entered into an agreement with the town of Cumberland to acquire Gem Water Utility, which the town has owned since 2010. Gem Water serves approximately 500 water customers in a territory that lies between Cumberland’s eastern boundary and NineStar’s current water service territory around Philadelphia in western Hancock County, Ind. With this acquisition, NineStar’s water customer base will go from 100 to 600.
As part of the acquisition, Central Indiana Communications, Inc. (CICI), NineStar’s for-profit communications subsidiary, will build a fiber optic network that connects Cumberland’s town hall and other municipal facilities, including parks and trails. In addition, within 18-24 months of closing, NineStar will begin constructing high speed fiber optic facilities to each home and business within the Gem Water Utility territory.
“It is a mission of the NineStar board of directors to provide all co-op members fiber to their homes and businesses,” said Michael Burrow, NineStar’s President & CEO. “This allows for more efficient delivery of utility services and provides members with access to the fastest broadband services available anywhere in the United States.”
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