Tillman Fiber Co has confirmed to DCD that it has paired with T-Mobile to expand its Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network in Florida.

The company said that its fiber network will now extend to serve the Tampa Bay, Panhandle, South and South West, regional areas, including the cities of St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Naples, Pensacola, Miami, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Kissimmee.

Founded in 2021, New York-based Tillman designs, builds, and owns high-speed Internet infrastructure. The business is part of the Tillman Global Holdings portfolio, a holding company created by Sanjiv Ahuja.

Last year, the company announced a strategic partnership with private investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners, with an initial investment of $200 million, with the potential to invest up to $300m more for future expansion.

As part of the investment, the company plans to extend to other markets across the US. The company is currently focusing on Florida, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada.

"With the speed at which technology is developing, next-generation infrastructure is critical in the advancement of digital connectivity," said Ken Dixon, CEO of Tillman Fiber.

"Our expertise in fiber optics and our strategic alliance with a tier-one US mobile operator, combined with significant financial backing, perfectly positions Tillman Fiber to bring high-speed Internet to communities in Florida and beyond. We are confident in the long-term value our high-quality, innovative broadband services will provide customers."

It was reported last year that T-Mobile had been in discussions with Tillman to build out a fiber-optic network in the US, with the carrier more recently linked with Lumos Networks over a fiber joint venture (JV).

The rollout in Florida is being supported by Nokia, as Tillman confirmed it's deploying the vendor's 10 Gigabit XGS-PON with Altiplano SDAN controller to "simplify network management and deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical services to businesses and residents."