Astound Broadband has named Ettienne Brandt as CEO ahead of the company's planned merger with GFiber (formerly Google Fiber).

Brandt joins Astound from Frontier Communications, where he was executive VP for business for more than three-and-a-half years.

During his time at Frontier, the company was acquired in a $20 billion deal by US carrier giant Verizon.

He previously worked for EE and BT in the UK, and held roles at Orange, Cell C, and NTL (now Virgin Media) during his 25-year career in telecoms.

Stonepeak-backed Astound currently serves about a million customers across 11 states, while its fiber network passes more than four million premises.

“Astound has built an enviable combination of powerful fiber infrastructure and a strong heritage of delivering superior service to both residential and commercial customers across the US,” said Brandt.

“I’m excited to lead the company as we prepare for the next chapter, working alongside our team and our partners to expand our fiber footprint, strengthen our platform, and continue delivering a customer‑first experience for existing and future customers.”

Brandt joins just as Astound will combine with Google's fiber unit to create an independent fiber provider. The new company will be majority-owned by Stonepeak. Alphabet will remain a significant minority shareholder, though that share percentage wasn't disclosed by the company, nor were any financial details.

Google Fiber officially launched in 2010, but the service first went live in Kansas City in 2012. The firm is estimated to serve around four million customers.

The company operates in a number of states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.