Metronet and Vexus Merge, Instagram Launches AMBER alerts, Collaboration at Fiber Connect

Metronet announced it has completed its merger with Vexus Fiber.

Metronet and Vexus Merge, Instagram Launches AMBER alerts, Collaboration at Fiber Connect
Instagram launches AMBER alerts, photo from Tuko

June 2, 2022 – On Wednesday, Metronet, a fiber optic network provider from Evansville, Indiana announced it has completed its merger with Vexus Fiber, a fiber optic network provider from Lubbock, Texas to bring fiber to homes across 16 states and 250 communities.

“Both companies connect America’s underserved cities and towns, bringing state-of-the-art fiber optic connections for workers, businesses, schools, hospitals, government facilities and homes operating with symmetrical speeds of one gigabit or higher”, a press release stated.

The companies said the merger allows a wider geographical reach to provide more homes with fiber. As Metronet has networks in more than 220 communities across Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Wisconsin, Missouri and Colorado, the press release said the merger adds “additional residential and business customers in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.”

The press release stated that both companies will continue to operate under its current brands and leadership.

Instagram launches Amber alerts on platform

Instagram announced Wednesday that users will now receive AMBER alerts about missing children in their area to raise awareness through the platform’s sharing capabilities, starting in the U.S. and 24 other countries.

“Instagram is a platform based on the power of photos, making it a perfect fit for the AMBER Alert program,” Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said in a blog post.

“The alerts will include details about the child, such as a photo, description, location of the abduction and any other available information that can be provided”, Emily Vacher, director of trust and safety for Instagram parent Facebook, said in the post.

DeLaune added that with the “Instagram audience, we’ll be able to share photos of missing children with so many more people.”

Collaboration to be presented at Fiber Connect 2022

On Wednesday, the Fiber Broadband Association announced that the partnership of COS Systems, Lit Communities and Calix will present its combined fiber and telehealth services at Fiber Connect 2022 in Nashville June 13 and 14.

“The collaboration between FBA member companies Lit Communities, COS Systems, and Calix are presenting how their combined services aim to bring fiber and smart applications like Telehealth services to about 50,000 residents and businesses in Medina County”, a press release stated.

Calix and Lit Communities will provide broadband infrastructure to professional services in Medina County such as MedinaFiber and MetroHealth’s remote telehealth program, while COS Systems provides the software platform to deploy the network.