Our Story

1999  

Tech Valley Communications (TVC) is founded to provide high-quality, fiber-based communications services to customers throughout the Capital Region of Albany, New York – with the express goal of helping businesses and organizations upgrade their infrastructures for the digital age.  

2000  

TVC acquires GFC Communications, enhancing our suite of voice services and greatly expanding our customers’ organizational ability to coordinate both internally and externally. The acquisition also brings a sizeable number of colleges and universities to our client roster.  

2002  

TVC merges with Mid-Hudson Communications. The merger gives us access to additional fiber network throughout New York’s Capital region and enhances our switching infrastructure,  

2010  

Boston-based investment firm Riverside Partners acquires TVC, bringing the financial resources and capital needed to propel our growth – and bring our services to other markets throughout the greater Northeast region.  

2011  

Tech Valley Communications acquires segTEL. The acquisition enables us to serve a wider fiber network than ever before – ranging from New Hampshire to Maine and into Vermont. It also brings us a wholesale customer base.  

2013  

TVC acquires Vermont-based TelJet’s assets. The TelJet acquisition provides us with a dense fiber footprint throughout Vermont, a colocation facility in Burlington, VT, connectivity to New York City, Boston and an international presence in Montreal – ensuring our status as one of the premier fiber optic providers throughout the entire Northeast. Our company changes its name to FirstLight Fiber.  

2014  

FirstLight acquires New Hampshire-based G4 Communications’ assets. The acquisition brings with it an impressive new roster of customers as well as a colocation facility in Manchester, NH.  

2016  

FirstLight expands its fiber network into New York, adding more than 35,000 fiber miles in Westchester, Orange, and Rockland counties. FirstLight also gets acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners. The acquisition gives us further leeway and purchase power to expand and refine the solutions and services we offer our customers.  

2017  

FirstLight successfully combined operations with Oxford Networks and Sovernet Communications, and Oxford, Sovernet and ION Communications are now consolidated under the FirstLight brand. FirstLight also acquired Finger Lakes Technologies Group (“FLTG”), a subsidiary of Trumansburg Telephone Company (TTC) operating in New York and Pennsylvania; and 186 Communications, a high-capacity fiber network provider operating in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The FirstLight network grew considerably, expanding to connecting nearly 8,000 locations in service with more than 25,000 locations serviceable by its 14,000 route mile network.  

2018  

In July 2018, FirstLight becomes a portfolio company of Antin Infrastructure Partners, adding further strength to our company’s already considerable financial backing.  

2019  

In July of 2019, FirstLight acquires Todd Cable Construction. The acquisition enhances our ability to expand our fiber network and facilitate continued growth by adding a proven team with robust construction capabilities and services.

2020  

FirstLight completed its acquisition of TruePath Technologies (“TruePath”). This transaction enhanced FirstLight’s Managed Services portfolio by adding a proven team with expertise in deploying and supporting Monitoring Solutions.

2021  

As of late 2021, the FirstLight network spans over 25,000 miles of high-capacity fiber-optic cable throughout the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States.