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Technicians for Specs Communications work on lines to make the network upgrades on Jan 20, 2026. (Photo: Jai Smith \/ Lehigh Daily)<\/p>\n
The outages are part of an $81 million project, announced last summer, to expand Astound\u2019s fiber infrastructure throughout the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. The company, formerly known as RCN, expects to connect 315,000 homes and 25,000 businesses to its upgraded network by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
The disruptions affect internet, WiFi, landline phone service and TV. The company cautioned customers that 911 emergency services may be temporarily unavailable during outages and advised residents to have a backup option such as a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
In the Lehigh Valley alone, Astound has allocated $39 million to upgrade 4,200 miles of fiber-optic cable serving 262,000 homes and 23,000 businesses. An additional $42 million is funding expansion into Northeast Pennsylvania, including Scranton and Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. A local team of more than 600 workers is handling the project.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAstound has long been a market leader in fiber expansion\u2014it\u2019s what we\u2019re known for, and it\u2019s why our customers choose us,\u201d Sanford Ames, Astound senior vice president and general manager for Pennsylvania, said when the project was announced last summer. \u201cWe\u2019re building a network that doesn\u2019t just meet today\u2019s demands\u2014it anticipates tomorrow\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
The upgrades will replace older coaxial cable with fiber optic connections and upgrade traditional cable broadband infrastructure to support DOCSIS 4.0, enabling multi-gigabit speeds.<\/p>\n
The change also affects how TV service is delivered. Instead of a traditional coaxial cable connection, television will run through the internet. Customers with older TVs that only have coaxial inputs \u2014 and no HDMI ports \u2014 may need to replace their sets or buy adapters.<\/p>\n
Technicians may need to enter properties with public easements to complete the work, and the company asked residents to secure pets while crews are present. Some work may occur overnight.<\/p>\n
The investment was made possible by a recent refinancing and a $400 million commitment from Stonepeak, Astound\u2019s largest investor, according to Ames.<\/p>\n
The Lehigh Valley project is part of Astound\u2019s broader infrastructure expansion. Last week, the company completed a 300-mile fiber route connecting New York City to Ashburn, Virginia, adding 33.6 terabits per second of capacity along the East Coast.<\/p>\n
Customers seeking more information can visit astound.com\/network-upgrade<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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