Atlantic Broadband Buys Thames Valley Communications

GROTON, CT — The nation's eight largest internet, cable and phone has inked a deal to buy Thames Valley Communications. The purchase, which is expected to close by spring, means Atlantic Broadband will add around 10,000 customers to its Connecticut operations.

What will new ownership means for the thousands of current TVC subscribers in Groton, Mystic, Stonington, Pawcatuck and Gales Ferry?

Current Thames Valley Communications CEO Bill Pearson said, "Atlantic Broadband’s strong management and larger scale will provide our residential and business customers with access to leading-edge, high quality technology and services.”

This acquisition allows Atlantic Broadband to expand its presence in a market where the Company is already well established following its acquisition of MetroCast’s Connecticut operations in 2015.

“The acquisition of Thames Valley Communications will nicely complement our presence in Southeastern Connecticut, as our businesses share the same values of customer focus and support of the communities we serve,” Frank van der Post, Atlantic Broadband presdient was quoted as saying in a press release.

“With a commitment to innovation, a first-rate customer experience, and stimulating economic growth in the region, we look forward to offering high quality Internet, video and phone services to homes and businesses" now served by TVC, he said.

Pearson said Thames Valley Communications has in the past seven years "invested heavily in TVC’s network and technology to provide the best internet, TV and phone services, including increasing our Internet speeds by nearly 50x, from 20 Mbps to 1 Gig, and bringing our network reliability to best-in-class."

Atlantic Broadband provides residential and business customers with internet, TV and
phone services in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire,
New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. It's based in Quincy, Massachusetts.

We will be expanding our presence in Southeastern Connecticut after acquiring Thames Valley Communications. We look forward to serving all new customers in this region! Click here for details: https://t.co/v18lDPg5lV pic.twitter.com/ERzT1AgkKl

Groton City borrowed $34.5 million from 2006 to 2008 to build and expand Thames Valley Communications. But by 2013, the city had to sell at a tremendous loss.

As was reported by Patch at the time, Thames Valley had to double the number of customers it had to make it work. But in less than two years, the city found itself subsidizing the operating expenses of the company at a cost of about $2.5 million a year. So it sold the company to an investment firm for $150,000.