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Astound has announced a major expansion in the region. The internet and cable TV provider announced an $81 million investment on Tuesday that will update its infrastructure and expand its territory. 

A local team of over 600 workers have begun upgrading over 4,800 miles of Astound’s  infrastructure and extending its existing network throughout the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. 

Starting this summer, Astound will be upgrading its network, with more than 185,000 homes and businesses having access by the end of 2025, with the full complement of 315,000 homes and 25,000 businesses connected to Astound’s network by the end of 2026. 

Sanford Ames, senior vice president and general manager for Astound said the investment, which was made possible by a recent refinancing and a commitment of $400 million from Stonepeak, Astound’s largest investor. 

“The last time we upgraded the network was in 2007-2008 and that has served us well until now,” Ames said. “What we want to do now is future proof.” 

Ames said today most customers have 1 Gig or better internet speed and with the increased use of streaming, the company expects the demand to grow even higher and he believes some customers may demand speeds as high as 10 gigs in the future. 

“This will allow us to strengthen our network and allow our customers to get the internet speeds of their choosing,” Ames said. 

In the Lehigh Valley Astound will be spending $39 million to upgrade electronics in the field and in their hubs. 

It will also spend $42 million to expand its territory in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

While Astound began expanding in that region back in 2021, Ames said they seek to grow their customer base in that region and will be entering the Scranton market for the first time. 

“Astound’s fiber network is uniquely suited to support mid-sized commercial customers across Pennsylvania—offering the flexibility, reliability, and scalability they need to grow,” said Patrick Knorr, chief commercial officer for Astound Business Solutions. “This expansion also complements our existing capabilities to deliver 400Gb+ connectivity for large enterprise clients, reinforcing our commitment to future-ready infrastructure for businesses of all sizes. Astound’s network is built for what’s now—and what’s next.” 

Astound provides service in Chicago, Indiana, Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York City, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Texas, and regions throughout California, Oregon and Washington.