Frontier Communications is accelerating its fiber-optic network expansion across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, an aggressive build-out that continues unabated as the company moves toward the final stages of a $20 billion acquisition by telecommunications rival Verizon. The strategic push underscores the intensity of the fight for dominance in the high-speed internet market, with Dallas emerging as the central battleground for the nation’s largest carriers.
The forward momentum on local expansion, even with a landmark merger pending, signals Frontier’s commitment to its aggressive fiber-first strategy. This plan is set against the backdrop of a major corporate consolidation that has already received key regulatory approvals and is poised to reshape the competitive landscape. For residents and businesses in North Texas, the parallel moves promise a future of increased choice and faster internet speeds, as the industry’s titans position the region as the epicenter of fiber development in the United States.
A Landmark $20 Billion Consolidation
Verizon officially announced its definitive agreement to acquire Frontier Communications in an all-cash transaction valued at $20 billion in September 2024. Under the terms of the deal, Verizon will pay $38.50 per share for Frontier, a significant premium designed to bring Frontier’s extensive fiber assets into its fold. The acquisition is one of the most significant in the telecommunications sector in recent years, aiming to substantially broaden Verizon’s national fiber footprint.
The deal has successfully cleared major regulatory and procedural hurdles. Frontier’s shareholders approved the sale in November 2024, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave its official approval in May 2025. The transaction is now expected to close within approximately 18 months of its initial announcement. Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg stated the move was a “strategic fit” that builds on Verizon’s leadership in fiber and enhances its ability to compete in more markets across the country.
Once finalized, the merger will combine Frontier’s 2.2 million fiber subscribers with Verizon’s roughly 7.4 million Fios connections. This will create a network with 25 million fiber passings across 31 states and Washington, D.C., positioning the new entity as a formidable force in the national broadband market. Verizon anticipates the acquisition will generate at least $500 million in annual cost synergies by the third year through greater scale and network integration.
Dallas Becomes Ground Zero for Fiber
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has become the focal point of the national fiber race, a distinction highlighted by Frontier’s own leadership. Frontier CEO Nick Jeffery has called Dallas the “epicenter” in the competition to build out next-generation connectivity. The region’s significance is magnified by the fact that both AT&T and Frontier are headquartered there; with the Verizon acquisition, two of the largest national fiber providers will now be based in the same city, intensifying the local rivalry.
This concentration of telecom power in North Texas is expected to accelerate deployment and innovation. “With Verizon’s arrival, that means you’ve got the two 800 pound gorillas of the U.S. fiber market all in one location here in Dallas,” Jeffery said in an interview. The intense competition is rooted in the technological shift away from older copper and coaxial cable infrastructure toward the superior speed and reliability of fiber-optic lines.
Industry leaders argue that fiber is “tomorrow’s technology,” offering speeds that approach the speed of light and a capacity for upgrades that far exceeds legacy cable systems. This technological imperative is driving massive investment across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, not only from the industry giants but also from smaller, aggressive internet service providers looking to claim a share of the rapidly growing market.
Frontier’s Aggressive Build-out Strategy
Even with the Verizon deal looming, Frontier has not slowed its own investment in expanding its network. The company’s strategy focuses on building out a 100% fiber-optic network capable of delivering multi-gigabit speeds. In the Dallas market, Frontier actively promotes service tiers with symmetrical download and upload speeds reaching up to 7 gigabits per second (Gbps). This performance is a key differentiator from cable internet, which typically offers much slower upload speeds.
The company has framed its investment as essential for a digital society, enabling households to support numerous connected devices for remote work, high-definition streaming, and gaming without data caps. Recent financial reports from 2025 show this fiber-centric approach is yielding results; Frontier added 126,000 fiber broadband customers in the second quarter, marking a 20% year-over-year growth in its fiber subscriber base. Correspondingly, consumer fiber broadband revenues increased 26% during the same period, demonstrating a significant shift in the company’s revenue mix toward its fiber products.
The expansion involves extensive groundwork, including obtaining permits and using specialized equipment to lay underground conduit or attach fiber lines to utility poles. In 2022, the company planned to invest over $7.3 million to build out 66,887 square feet of new space at its Dallas headquarters at 1919 McKinney Ave, signaling a long-term commitment to its presence and operations in the city.
A Crowded and Competitive Marketplace
The fight for fiber customers in Dallas-Fort Worth extends beyond the headline rivalry between Verizon/Frontier and AT&T. The market is increasingly fragmented and competitive, with several companies vying for customers.
Established Incumbents and New Challengers
AT&T, the nation’s largest fiber provider, remains a dominant force, but it has faced headwinds. In the second quarter of 2025, AT&T reported adding fewer fiber customers than analysts expected, a miss that raised concerns about the impact of intense competition. The area is also served by cable giant Charter (Spectrum), particularly in Fort Worth, which has traditionally been dominated by regional monopolies.
This environment has attracted new players seeking to disrupt the status quo. NOVOS FiBER, a regional internet service provider, recently expanded into the McKinney area after a successful 2023 launch in Arlington, backed by a $20 million investment for the new market. Similarly, Fort Worth has entered into a public-private partnership with Sprocket Networks to build a citywide fiber network, aiming to provide affordable, high-speed internet to underserved neighborhoods and introduce more competition.
The Push to Overcome Cable’s Legacy
This flurry of activity is driven by a broader market reality in the United States. Fiber broadband penetration in the U.S. stands at only about 35%, significantly trailing other global markets where penetration rates are between 60% and 98%. This gap represents a massive opportunity for growth as consumers increasingly abandon older, less reliable cable technology for the superior performance of fiber. The intense competition seen in Dallas is a preview of the infrastructure battle that is expected to play out across the country over the next decade.