Atlantic Broadband has announced the deployment of its managed Wi-Fi product in service areas it acquired in its purchase of the remaining MetroCast assets last year.

Enhanced WiFi (E-WiFi) wsa first launched by Atlantic Broadband in its existing markets in 2017. It is now available to the operator’s customers in New Hampshire, Maine, Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern Maryland and Virginia.

E-WiFi uses multiple wireless mesh access points and intelligent routing algorithms designed by AirTies.

“The quality of the in-home WiFi experience and business-based WiFi performance is critical to daily life and commerce today,” said Heather McCallion, VP of products and programming for Atlantic Broadband, in a statement. “After Atlantic Broadband acquired the MetroCast properties last year, we significantly boosted internet speeds for all of our residential and business customers. With today’s launch of E-WiFi, our customers will have access to powerful technology that will take internet performance to new heights.”

In a report published earlier this week, equity research firm Cowen identified managed Wi-Fi, along with smart home management, as opportunities often overlooked in a cable industry focused on broadband speed increases.

“We are seeing the emergence of ‘managed Wi-Fi’ for better in-home coverage solutions which includes RF optimization/education, Wi-Fi extenders, parental controls, and a platform for said device management,” Cohen said. “While Comcast offers ‘xFi Pods’ (Wi-Fi extenders licensed from Plume), we could see a race for more personalized services. Charter recently noted it may launch a smart home management service this fall. Both ‘smart/managed Wi-Fi’ providers such as Plume and the MSO’s (which may or may not white label solutions from managed Wi-Fi providers) are certainly seeing the demand for in-home managed WiFi, and with customers are willing to pay for it.”

As the final step of its acquisition of MetroCast Cable Systems, Atlantic Broadband said it has rebranded those systems as Atlantic Broadband and pushed ahead with a set of high-speed internet upgrades for residential and business customers in those legacy MetroCast markets.

The $1.4 billion MetroCast deal was completed in January.

RELATED: Atlantic Broadband Closes MetroCast Purchase

As part of the speed upgrade, residential subs in the former MetroCast areas have access to speeds up to 200 Mbps, and business customers can get up to 500 Mbps, depending on the market.

Atlantic Broadband also plans to start rolling out 1-Gig service to its new markets this summer.

Here’s how the current round of upgrades break down by speed tier:

Residential:

· Access tier download speeds increase from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Mbps

· High Speed Express tier download speeds increase from 5 Mbps to 20 Mbps

· Turbo tier download speeds increase from 35 Mbps and 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps

· Ultra tier download speeds increase from 105 Mbps and 150 Mbps to 200 Mbps

Business:

· Small business tier download speeds increase from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps

· Performance tier download speeds increase from 60 Mbps to 100 Mbps

· Advanced tier download speeds increase from 120 Mbps to 200 Mbps

· Professional tier download speeds will soon increase from 200 Mbps to 300 Mbps in Berwick/Pocono, Pa.; King George and Saluda, Va., locations

· Professional tier download speeds will soon increase from 200 Mbps to 500 Mbps in Sanford, Maine; Belmont and Rochester, N.H.; and St. Mary’s, Md.

“People consume technology at an infinitely higher rate than they did just a few years ago. Residential customers may operate as many as 10+ connected devices in a household daily and businesses rely on fast speeds and powerful internet to stay competitive,” Rich Shea, president and CEO of Atlantic Broadband, said in a statement. “To ensure customers have the best user experience, we are committed to investing in the latest technology and will begin rolling out Gigabit Internet service to our new markets starting this summer.”

Quincy, Mass.-based Atlantic Broadband is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cogeco Communications.

Canadian cable operator Cogeco Communications said its U.S. subsidiary Atlantic Broadband has completed the $1.4 billion purchase of MetroCast Cable systems in five states.

The deal was first announced in July. MetroCast was owned by Harron Communications and had about 120,000 high-speed internet, 76,000 video and 37,000 telephone subscribers at the time the transaction was announced. MetroCast systems pass about 236,000 homes in New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia

Cogeco said Atlantic Broadband raised about $1.85 billion in debt for the purchase, and obtained another $315 million through an investment from Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”) for a 21% interest in Atlantic Broadband’s holding company. These proceeds were used to finance the $1.4 billion purchase price and to refinance Atlantic Broadband’s existing debt, the parent company said.

MetroCast will retain its existing brand name and will continue to offer its current TV, Internet and Phone services to business and residential customers. Starting in spring of this year, MetroCast will begin offering a suite of enhanced services under the Atlantic Broadband brand name.

Cogeco had purchased MetroCast systems in Connecticut in 2015 for about $200 million. Two years later, the Canadian company decided to go all-in, buying the rest of the company in a larger deal.

“After our highly successful acquisition and integration of the MetroCast Connecticut system more than two years ago, we understand the significant residential and business growth potential in this business,” said Atlantic Broadband CEO Richard Shea in a statement “A core strength of MetroCast has been its excellent operational and service team. We are pleased to welcome all MetroCast operating employees, including the local General Managers, to the Atlantic Broadband family. We look forward to working together to launch new and improved TV, Internet and Phone services to residential and business customers in these markets.”

Atlantic Broadband is the ninth largest cable operator in the U.S. and the deal was expected to increase its PSUs (personal service units, a mix of video, voice and broadband customers) from 602,000 to 835,000, according to earlier company statements.

“This acquisition establishes Atlantic Broadband as a strategic platform in the U.S. with a diverse footprint extending up the East Coast from Florida to Maine,” said Cogeco CEO Louis Audet in a statement. “It has been a great opportunity to partner with CDPQ for this transaction and we look forward to working with them to continue to grow this business in the U.S.”

Media and telecom deal volumes and values were up significantly in the third quarter, fueled by a growing belief that lighter regulation and economic benefits will prevail, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

Volumes rose 9% to 238 deals in Q3, their highest point in the past two years, compared to Q2 this year, according to PwC's Q3 2017 Deal Insights report. Values topped $31.6 billion, up 76% form the second quarter and fueled by seven megadeals. PwC defines megadeals as transactions above $1 billion in value. Leading that list was Discovery Communications’ pending $11.8 billion purchase (not including debt) of Scripps Networks Interactive.

According to PC, the Advertising and Marketing sector made up for the biggest chunk of volume – about 80 deals. In the Broadcasting sector deal volume rose 50% to 13 deals. The Broadcast and Telecommunications (42 deals) sectors, both hit two-year highs as well.  

“While the shift to digital was all the rage only a couple of years ago, market participants are realizing that a compelling digital platform may only be part of the solution and won’t satisfy sophisticated investors and stakeholders,” PwC wrote. “The ultimate goal: taking that sticky digital platform you’ve built or acquired and maximizing the underlying data to (i) improve customer engagement and (ii) identify direct or tangential service offerings, which can improve the monetization of said user base.”

Rounding out the megadeals were Crown Castle International’s $7.1 billion purchase of Lightower Fiber Networks (Telecom); and two sports franchise deals: Tilman Fertitta’s $2.2 billion acquisition of the NBA’s Houston Rockets and an investor group’s (led by Bruce Sherman and former New York Yankee Derek Jeter) purchase of the MLB Miami Marlins for $1.2 billion (Recreation and Leisure).

In the Internet & Information sector, The Walt Disney Co.’s $1.6 billion purchase of a majority stake in BAMTech led the pack,  while Atlantic Broadband Group’s $1.4 billion purchase of Metrocast Cablevision rounded out the Telecom list.

INDIANAPOLIS – The rash of recent M&A deals in the small cable space is likely to continue, but money also will flow into the sector to build out networks and increasingly focus on in-home networking, customer service and improving the overall experience according to a panel session at The Independent Show.

The handful of top executives at small cable operators said they expect consolidation to continue especially as larger companies recognize the strength of their networks and the rising demand for fast and faster broadband speeds.

Read More: Get complete coverage of #TIS17.

Already there has been a flood of deals in the past year – private equity firm TPG’s purchase of RCN and Grande Communications last August for $2.25 billion and its May agreement to buy Wave Broadband for $2.36 billion; and Cogeco Cable’s July agreement to purchase MetroCast for $1.4 billion.

New deal currencies form recent IPOs at WideOpenWest and Altice USA also should provide fuel for more deals.

But the operators during the panel session moderated by CNBC senior analyst and commentator Ron Insana said there is also a big push to continue to improve the overall customer experience, and that means a sharper focus on in-home networking and customer education.

WOW CEO Steve Cochran, which went public in May, said he was encourage most by the fact that many of the recent deals involved small companies buying small companies.

“It’s all about knowing the customer segment you’re going after,” Cochran said, adding that he was happy that recent transactions involved many of the people that are in this room coming together.”

Knowing that customer segment involves providing faster data speeds for both residential and business customers. At EPB, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based municipal electric utility, that means providing a good product and with strong customer service.

Vice president of new products Katie Espeseth said customer service said customer service is still the biggest differentiator for small operators competing against larger, deeper pocketed competitors.

“It’s what really sets us apart,” she said.

Related: Indie Cable Operators: Small but Powerful

Espeseth sees small cable and municipal broadband operators not just as providers of less expensive, more efficient service, but as catalysts for the local economy.

“We see our role as being the sparkplug in the community,” Espeseth said. “We spur economic development; we see these type of broadband services as being a catalyst not only for residential customers but to improve businesses and provide an environment for entrepreneurs to grow and flourish.”

But Espeseth said with choices and options increasing exponentially as new methods of content delivery emerge, from streaming to over the top services and TV Everywhere, customers are getting increasingly confused.

That means that education is becoming increasingly important to help customers navigate their choices and to “steer [them] to an experience they feel they personally curated.”

Wave Broadband chief operating officer Harold Zeitz added that allowing customers to integrate their services and devices via in-home networks is the next big priority for the industry, adding that it is essential that operators educate customers in how to use the products they’re offered.

Harron Communications EVP and general counsel Ryan Pearson said in-home networking is high on his priority is, adding that it is also important for customers to be able to interact with their provider in the way they want, whether that be via e-mail, text, or social media.

Block Communications has agreed to purchase cable systems in Mississippi and Alabama from Harron Communications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The systems, which operate under the MetroCast name, pass about 100,000 homes and serve about 61,000 primary service units in northern and central Mississippi, including Oxford and Starkville, and Alabama.

The transaction, financial terms of which were not disclosed, is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2014, following the satisfaction of regulatory requirements and other customary closing conditions.

“This acquisition supports our cable and broadband growth strategy and enhances our geographic diversification,” said Block Communications chairman Allan Block in a statement.  “Harron has invested a significant amount of capital over the last five years to upgrade the systems and we believe there is now a tremendous opportunity to increase penetration levels.  We look forward to serving these communities and continuing to improve the services and products being offered.”

Block is the parent of Buckeye CableSystem, which provides service in Toledo and Erie County, Ohio. Block also owns newspapers  -- the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh, Pa., and The Blade in Toledo, Ohio – and owns and operates television broadcast stations in Louisville, Ky.; Decatur, Ill.; Lima, Ohio; and Boise, Idaho.

“We couldn't be more pleased to have another family-owned, customer-oriented company who has enjoyed a long history in the communications industry like Block Communications acquire our Mississippi systems,” said Harron Communications chairman and CEO James J. Bruder, Jr., in a statement. “Block Communications’ commitment to its customers, employees and the communities it serves, makes us confident that the transition of ownership will be seamless for our customers.”

Moorgate Partners served as exclusive M&A advisor and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Cinnamon Mueller LLC served as legal counsel to Block Communications.  RBC Capital Markets served as exclusive M&A advisor and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to Harron Communications.