Blackstone-backed fiber network provider is entering the Austin market
A Florida-based fiber optic internet provider backed by Blackstone, a trillion-dollar investment firm, is expanding its unique business model into Texas.
Hotwire Communications serves homeowner's associations, master-planned communities, businesses and schools over individuals residences, and functions without retail storefronts, like AT&T and Spectrum do.
The company launched in 2002, focused on South Florida before finding market similarities in Texas.
"When we looked at Texas as a whole, we saw that that market and a lot of similarities to our Florida market and really the customer base, the homeowner association environment was very similar," David Ramos, president of Hotwire's enterprise business, told the American-Statesman. "We saw a great potential with how much new construction was going on. A lot of our existing clients moving into Texas opened our eyes to that."
Just like it did before launching in Tampa Bay, Hotwire spent the past couple years establishing a presence in the Austin market before going public. Hotwire invested in infrastructure and fiber network buildouts, data center developments and securing staffing before announcing its in the Austin market this month, Ramos said.
Ramos said Hotwire focuses on customer service and eliminating disruptors to the network with its "luxury" fiber internet.
"We build dedicated networks so every home gets access to their own internet without worrying about how many neighbors are using the network at six o'clock," Ramos said. "We provide the ability to scale, so if you're a regular user that needs only a gigabit, or you're a power user that needs 10, you never impact your neighbors, or vice versa."
Internet provider T-Mobile has been eyeing purchasing Hotwire Communications, partnering with global investment firm KKR to bid in the auction process for the internet service provider. Ramos did not comment on the sale as nothing is final yet.
Ramos said Hotwire is 100% fiber-based. Fiber optic networks use thin strands of glass or plastic to transmit data as pulses of light and are designed for high-speed, long-distance communications and data transmission.
Ramos explained that Hotwire's network is built so if a fiber is cut or damaged, it continues operating.
"The investment in that is the fiber networks throughout your community, the fiber networks that then connect to data centers and to the outside world that provide redundancy," Ramos said. "You have an option, right We're not for everyone. We understand that. Our business model is not for everyone, but for for those that appreciate a high quality product is reliable, always on at a great rate, and that you can enjoy doing business with the provider, that's us."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Blackstone-backed fiber internet provider is coming to Austin
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is Now a Good Time To Invest in Uber? Here's What Experts Say
Uber Technologies has been one of the best stocks on Wall Street so far in 2025, with shares rising by about 50% year-to-date to far outpace the broader markets. I'm a Financial Advisor: Read Next: The rideshare company's stock hit a record high of $97.71 in early July. Some analysts see the price reaching $120 by year's end — meaning it could be a good time to invest in Uber. Much of the optimism is based on Uber's strong financial results, which include double-digit revenue growth and a continued uptick in bookings. 'A Real Business' One expert with a positive take on Uber is Edward Corona, a Florida-based trader and publisher of The Options Oracle Newsletter. He's targeting a $107 stock price for the rest of the year as long as the company's current positive trends hold. 'Uber is finally acting like a real business — free cash flow is solid, margins are improving, and they've become the default app for way more than just rides,' Corona told GOBankingRates. Although Uber faces a competitive risk from Tesla's robotaxi, Corona calls that a '2026 problem.' For now, Uber's stock chart has 'been in a steady uptrend, and I like it long here,' he added. How To Turn $100K Into a Million: Is Now A Good Time To Buy? Most experts are upbeat about Uber and recommend buying the stock. The vast majority of analysts polled by MarketWatch — 41 out of 57 — have a 'Buy' rating on the stock. The others rate it either 'Overweight' (4 analysts) or 'Hold' (12). As of July 23, the consensus rating is 'Buy' and the average target price is $101.10. A recent analysis from Motley Fool recommended buying Uber shares 'like there's no tomorrow' and cited the following company strengths: Strong revenue growth driven by double-digit increases in gross bookings for mobility and delivery. Competitive advantages from Uber's 'network effect' and ability to leverage 'vast amounts of data.' Although Uber already operates in more than 15,000 cities worldwide, it's still 'not even close' to reaching its full potential. The stock price is still relatively affordable at less than $100 a share. Among the analysts with a particularly bullish take on Uber is Ken Gawrelski of Wells Fargo. As AInvest noted, Gawrelsk recently maintained his 'Overweight' rating on the stock, and raised his price target to $120 from $100. More From GOBankingRates Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck This article originally appeared on Is Now a Good Time To Invest in Uber? Here's What Experts Say Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
AI-fueled crypto scams are booming, up 456% — and no one is safe, expert warns
Crypto crooks are getting bolder — and now, they sound just like your mom. Global crypto scams soared 456% between May 2024 and April 2025 — becoming increasingly reliant on AI-generated voices, deepfake videos and phony credentials to fleece unsuspecting victims, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs' Ari Redbord told The Post after testifying before Congress last Tuesday. 'These scams are highly effective, as the technology feels incredibly real and familiar to the victim,' Redbord said. Advertisement 4 TRM Labs' Ari Redbord, who testified before Congress last week, says scammers are now using AI-generated voices and deepfake credentials to mimic loved ones and steal crypto. Igor Faun – 'We've seen cases where scammers use AI to replicate the voice of a loved one, tricking the victim into transferring money under the guise of an urgent request.' And the threat is exploding — especially in high-density cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles, he added. In June, New York officials froze $300,000 in stolen cryptocurrency and seized more than 100 scam websites linked to a Vietnam-based ring that targeted Russian-speaking Brooklynites with fake Facebook investment ads. Advertisement Meta shut down over 700 Facebook accounts tied to the scam. Investigators say the group used deepfake BitLicense certificates and moved victims onto encrypted apps like Telegram before draining their wallets. 4 Even crypto pros aren't safe — MoonPay's CEO and CFO were conned into wiring $250,000 to a scammer pretending to be a Trump inauguration insider. Igor Faun – Advertisement Some New Yorkers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars — and it's not just everyday joes getting targeted. Even crypto insiders are falling for it. Florida-based crypto firm MoonPay saw its CEO Ivan Soto-Wright and CFO Mouna Ammari Siala duped into wiring $250,000 in crypto to a scammer posing as Trump inauguration co-chair Steve Witkoff, according to a recent Department of Justice complaint. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Globally, fraudsters swiped more than $10.7 billion in 2024 through crypto cons — including romance scams, fake trading platforms and 'pig-butchering,' where scammers build fake relationships before draining victims' accounts, Redbord said. Advertisement In the US, Americans filed nearly 150,000 crypto-related fraud complaints in 2024, with losses topping $3.9 billion, according to the FBI. But the real number is likely much higher. 4 A Vietnam-based ring targeted Brooklyn's Russian-speaking community with fake BitLicenses and phony Facebook accounts before vanishing with hundreds of thousands. Igor Faun – 'Only around 15% of victims actually report these crimes,' Redbord said, citing shame, fear and distrust in law enforcement — particularly among older adults and immigrant communities. One of these scammers go-to tools? Crypto ATMs — especially those tucked inside New York delis and convenience stores. Illicit use at these kiosks is more than twice as high as in the broader crypto market, Redbord said. Victims are often directed to scan a QR code and deposit cash, instantly converting it to crypto before the funds disappear. As the scams rage on, Washington is starting to bring order to the Wild West of crypto. 4 Officials say the real number of crypto scam victims is far higher than reported, as shame and fear keep many from coming forward. Igor Faun – House lawmakers wrapped up 'Crypto Week' last Thursday by passing the first-ever comprehensive cryptocurrency legislation — a trio of bills focused on regulating stablecoins, trading platforms and digital asset infrastructure. Advertisement Even so, Redbord advised, common sense is the best defense. 'If something feels too good to be true — especially unsolicited investment advice — it almost always is,' he said. 'Verify the platform. Confirm identities. And when in doubt, report it — whether to IC3, Chainabuse or your local authorities.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites days after service outage
July 26 (UPI) -- SpaceX early Saturday launched another 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida, days after a short service outage hit the space-based internet provider. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 5:01 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Pad 40. The first-stage booster launched for the 22nd time, including Crew-6 and 17 previous Starlink missions. About 8 minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 119th touchdown on the droneship and the 480th to date for SpaceX in Florida and California. This year, it was the 91st Falcon 9 launch, according to SpaceFlight Now. There are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. On Thursday, Starlink users reported a rare full network outage of internet service. It began at 4 p.m. About 2 1/2 hours later, SpaceX announced most service had been restored. Then, 1 1/2 hours later, full service was back, Starlink reported. "The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," Michael Nicholls, vice president of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX wrote on X. "We apologize for the temporary disruption in our service; we are deeply committed to providing a highly reliable network, and will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again." There are more than 6 million Starlink customers worldwide, including 2 million in the United States after debuting in 2021. The next SpaceX launch is scheduled for 8:55 p.m. PDT Saturday from Vandenbrug Space Force Station's Pad 4E in California. An additional 24 Starlink satellites are scheduled for deployment.
