T-Mobile is reportedly in talks with Lumos Networks over a fiber joint venture (JV) in the US.
According to German publication Handelsblatt, T-Mobile wants to invest $1 billion in building its own fiber optic network with Lumos.
The publication cited sources at T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telekom.
It notes that the JV plans to build fiber-optic connections in Virginia initially.
At present, T-Mobile currently offers fiber services across 13 states, as per its T-Fiber website, but not yet in Virginia. The telco has been interested in carving out a fiber offering since 2022.
Lumos Networks does, however, operate in Virginia. The company provides fiber connections in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to 300,000 premises. The firm is aiming to reach one million by 2026.
As noted by Fierce Wireless, T-Mobile has not previously worked with Lumos in the 13 markets it provides T-Fiber service to but instead has partnerships with Tillman FiberCo, Pilot Fiber, Intrepid Fiber Networks, and SiFi Networks.
It was reported in September that the US carrier was in talks with Tillman Fiber over plans to build out a fiber-optic network across the country.
Tillman FiberCo announced a strategic partnership with private investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners in August.
The fiber broadband company confirmed it received an initial investment of $200 million, with the potential to invest up to $300 million more as the company eyes expansion.
Tillman FiberCo is initially targeting parts of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Florida for its fiber buildout, according to its CEO Ken Dixon.
Rival carrier AT&T notably formed a JV of its own with BlackRock last year to create Gigapower, LLC, to provide fiber broadband services to Internet service providers and businesses across parts of the US.
