Japan’s SoftBank Gains FCC Approval to Acquire Regional ISP WideOpenWest
Agency clears way for WOW! to become one of the first U.S. broadband operators with majority Japanese ownership
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WOW!: The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau on July 27 approved the transfer of regional Internet provider WideOpenWest to Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp., clearing the way for WOW! to become one of the first U.S. broadband operators with majority Japanese ownership. SoftBank is led by famed CEO Masayoshi Son, a Japan citizen. Son’s firm is acquiring DigitalBridge Group, WOW!’s majority owner, in a $4 billion deal announced two days before DigitalBridge and Crestview Partners took WOW! private at the end of 2025 in a transaction valued at $1.5 billion. SoftBank told regulators WOW!’s management and customer‑facing teams will remain in place. Crestview will retain its 37% stake, and SoftBank expects the DigitalBridge deal to close in the second half of 2026. [The FCC’s approval document did not mention SoftbBank by name; instead, it referred to Duncan Holdco LLC, an entity indirectly owned by SoftBank.] (More after paywall)
