Cincinnati Bell is changing its name as it looks to expand both its fiber network and its footprint outside the Greater Cincinnati region.
Cincinnati Bell is now "altafiber" in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The change does not affect Hawaiian Telcom or its IT services business, CBTS.
The rebranding comes less than a year after the 150-year-old company was purchased by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners in a $2.9 billion transaction. It's expected to take 6-9 months to roll out the new brand.
In a statement, President and CEO Leigh Fox says the new name better reflects the company's mission to expand its fiber network, which delivers broadband internet access.
"The investment in fiber, our geographic expansion, and our partnership with Macquarie mark a clear inflection point for the company. And it's all incredibly exciting and positive for our employees and for the communities and customers that we serve," Fox says.
The company says it currently reaches about 60% of the Tri-State with fiber coverage and is "aggressively building fiber" to the rest of the region. It has also been expanding in Dayton, Greene County and Greendale, Ind.
The Cincinnati Bell name isn't going away completely, it will live on in the Bell Charitable Foundation. The current leadership is also staying in place, according to the statement.
"We are proud of the Cincinnati Bell name, and it will always be a part of our history," says Fox. "We are still the local hometown company, with 2,000 employees across Greater Cincinnati who are dedicated to connecting our customers with what matters most through technology for the next 150 years."
He further explains the name "altafiber."
"The word 'alta' is rooted in a word that means elevated, and that’s what altafiber is doing: We're providing an elevated connection through fiber and raising the standard of service to our customers and the communities we serve as we continue to build out our fiber network and deliver broadband connectivity that is essential to accessing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities."
You can hear more from CEO Leigh Fox in this video.
What about the Cincinnati Bell Connector?
The streetcar, named the Cincinnati Bell Connector, just underwent new brand wrapping on its vehicles. Jackie Reau with Game Day Communications says the change doesn't affect the "connector" part of the branding.
"The new name of the streetcar is in transition as the brand rolls out," she tells WVXU. "The new wraps are ArtsWave focused for now during the brand transition."
