Greenlight adds industry expertise to fuel internet service expansion

With an ambitious goal of eventually providing high-speed internet service to up to one million homes and businesses in a six-state area, Greenlight Networks has made significant appointments within its management structure.

Richard Newcomb, former vice president of engineering for Comcast’s Northeast Division, has become chief network officer; former Federal Communications Commissioner Rachelle Chong has joined the Greenlight board; and Kevin Espinosa, a part of the legal team at M&T Bank for the past 10 years, has been named general counsel.

The appointments provide additional industry expertise that spans the spectrum of operations, from enabling efficient buildout of the network to navigating the legal and regulatory obstacles that slow expansion.

“This is the next evolution for Greenlight,” company CEO Mark Murphy said. “This strategic expansion allows us to further accelerate our brand initiatives and our overall mission of fiber network expansion to communities that need it most.”

Founded by Murphy in 2011 and now a subsidiary of private equity giant Oak Hill Capital, Greenlight Networks continues to expand in most upstate New York metropolitan areas while also targeting growth elsewhere on the east coast.

By the end of the year, the Henrietta-based fiber provider expects to have close to 200,000 homes in the network across Rochester, Buffalo, Binghamton and the Albany suburbs of Clifton Park and Malta. Plans are in the works to enter the Hudson Valley region as well.

If there was a way to access more utility poles more quickly, then expansion also would be faster, Murphy said. But the poles are owned by other utility entities, be it power or legacy phone companies, so access requires licensing approval. Common sense says pole owners who also offer internet service aren’t going out of their way to accommodate a competitor, especially one that offers speeds from 500 megabits to 5 gig.

So with pole licensing more methodical than expedited, Greenlight can only move so quickly, especially if the construction workforce is at full capacity. That’s a big reason why the company can’t always appease residents that want Greenlight’s service.

Murphy said potential customers often ask why the company is expanding elsewhere when all of Rochester still isn’t covered. But because of the somewhat limited labor base and the regulatory process, “we’re generally maxed out in what we can do here,” he said.

Thus, a major part of Greenlight’s growth strategy also involves other east coast states. Those with fewer regulatory-process hurdles are being targeted.

“There is interest up and down the east coast and the regulatory environment tells us how easy or hard it will be to build,” Murphy said. “We’ve got to find states with a regulatory environment that provides reasonable access to utility poles at a reasonable cost.”

The expertise provided by Chong and Espinosa will help to determine where expansion makes the most sense.

“Those two are going to work well together and will help us fast-track some things,” Murphy said. “Rachelle isn’t involved in day-to-day management but it’s great to have that perspective on our board.”

Newcomb, meanwhile, will be focused on oversight and accountability for construction, engineering and network operations projects. He and Murphy worked together years ago at what then was Time Warner Cable.

“The experience he’s had on the cable side has already been invaluable,” Murphy said. “He understands what significant construction is at scale.”

Along with network expansion, Greenlight for the first time rolled out its own WiFi offering this year. The company partnered with Nokia and provides in-home WiFi coverage for between $5 and $15 a month.

The company also is taking a more aggressive approach to the business community, especially multi-tenant office and multifamily residential properties.

“We’re continuing to expand and grow our base and 2024 looks to be another step function year,” Murphy said.

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