FCC Agrees to Expedited Review of SoftBank’s Acquisition of WOW!
The transaction would transfer ownership of the U.S. ISP to a Japanese company
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2026 — The Federal Communications Commission is ready to take comments on Softbank’s acquisition of DigitalBridge Group, owner of regional ISP WideOpenWest (WOW!).
The FCC said in a June 25 public notice it would not refer the transaction, which was filed in February 2026, to national security and law enforcement experts to evaluate potential risks to U.S. communications infrastructure.
Famed investor Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s CEO, has a 29.95% voting interest and a 29.95% equity interest in Softbank. SoftBank is based in Tokyo, Japan.
The U.S. reviewing group is the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (commonly known as Team Telecom). Team Telecom is often called upon to review mergers and acquisitions involving foreign-owned ISPs and submarine cable operators.
“We do not find any special circumstances that warrant referral of this Application to the Executive Branch agencies. While we are not referring the Application, we will provide a courtesy copy of this public notice to the Executive Branch agencies,” the FCC said.
Comments are due on July 9 and reply comments on July 16 under agency streamlined review policies. DigitalBridge has owned Colorado-based WOW! since December 2025.
