In a strategic shift that provides financial relief to a struggling competitor while expanding its own regional footprint, gFiber is stepping in to take over Ting Fiber’s dark fiber network lease in Colorado Springs. The agreement marks a significant turning point for Ting Fiber, which has faced mounting financial pressures, and hands the reins of a major municipal open-access fiber project over to the Google-backed broadband provider.
Under the terms of the transaction, Ting Fiber will continue serving its broadband customers in the city until the deal officially wraps up. The transfer of the lease is scheduled to close on March 31, 2027. Once the agreement takes effect, gFiber—formerly known as Google Fiber—will be officially substituted for Ting as the network’s tenant, effectively taking over the remaining obligations of the original 30-year lease with Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU).
The transfer agreement comes in the wake of strategic reviews initiated by Tucows, Ting Fiber’s parent company, back in late 2025 as the broadband subsidiary continued to absorb persistent financial losses. By June, Tucows disclosed in regulatory filings that there was "substantial doubt" regarding Ting Fiber’s ability to meet its financial obligations within a one-year window unless it secured additional financing. Those financial headwinds followed a major cost restructuring plan undertaken by Tucows in 2024, which forced the company to execute a 42% layoff at Ting Fiber alongside a 17% reduction of Tucows’ total workforce.
In an official FAQ published regarding the transition, Ting Fiber noted that it has "made the tough decision to focus on investment in other Ting markets." Despite stepping back from Colorado Springs, Ting Fiber continues to operate broadband services in select parts of California, Idaho, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Ting Fiber’s initial entry into Colorado Springs originated from a multi-phase infrastructure plan undertaken by CSU to bring high-speed, open-access fiber to approximately 200,000 locations across the city. In August 2023, the municipal utility tapped Ting Fiber to serve as the initial anchor tenant on the advanced XGS-PON-based network.
According to Colorado Springs Utilities Chief Financial Officer Tristan Gearhart, speaking in an interview with the Colorado Springs Gazette, the utility’s network currently passes roughly 75,000 homes. CSU expects the broader infrastructure buildout to wrap up within a few months of its original end-of-2028 target date.
The financial commitments tied to the infrastructure are substantial. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, Ting’s remaining aggregate payment obligations tied to the original 30-year lease stood at approximately $322.8 million, according to a 10-K filing submitted by Tucows on October 22. Under the original 30-year agreement struck with CSU, the municipal utility was projected to receive a total of about $670 million over the lifetime of the contract. By assuming the lease, gFiber takes on these future obligations, granting vital relief to Tucows as it restructures its business model.
No immediate change for Ting Fiber customers
For the more than 2,000 existing Ting Fiber customers in Colorado Springs, day-to-day service will continue without immediate disruption. Subscribers will continue to receive their current 2-Gig broadband speeds, which are priced at $89 per month, until they choose to cancel or transition. Ting Fiber has also maintained a home broadband and mobile bundle starting at $99 per month for local consumers.
As the transition timeline progresses toward the March 2027 close, gFiber is expected to introduce its own distinct service portfolio to the local market. According to Ting Fiber’s customer FAQ, gFiber anticipates starting to take orders from Colorado Springs residents by the end of 2026, with customer installations slated to begin in early 2027. To prepare for the handover, gFiber has already launched a dedicated website for Colorado Springs residents, allowing local consumers to sign up for alerts regarding service availability.
Taking on a utility partnership built on an open-access model is familiar territory for gFiber. The company operates a remarkably similar arrangement with a municipal utility in Huntsville, Alabama. Louis Lipner, gFiber’s head of strategic partnerships, noted that the company has been exceptionally pleased with the Huntsville rollout and has actively sought to enter the Colorado Springs market since at least 2022.
gFiber’s expanding footprint in Colorado
The Colorado Springs lease transfer significantly broadens gFiber’s strategic footprint across the state of Colorado. The move builds upon the company’s ongoing rollouts and established presence in suburban and metropolitan areas such as Highlands Ranch, Douglas County, Wheat Ridge, Westminster, Lakewood, and Denver. Notably, in Denver, gFiber utilizes its Webpass fixed wireless access platform to deliver high-speed connectivity. Furthermore, the company has active plans underway to construct fiber infrastructure in other Colorado markets, including Golden, Broomfield County, and Adams County.
This localized expansion also coincides with broader corporate movements. The Colorado Springs transaction unfolds alongside a pending merger between gFiber and Astound Broadband. That union will create a powerful new fiber giant that collectively passes more than 7.11 million locations across the United States.
The merger with Astound is expected to close later this year. Following the completion of the deal, investment firm Stonepeak will hold majority ownership of the combined company, while Alphabet—gFiber’s corporate parent—will retain a significant minority stake. The newly combined entity will operate entirely under the established gFiber brand and will be led by gFiber’s existing executive leadership team.
