Altafiber
Altafiber is the consumer-facing communications brand of Cincinnati Bell, providing fiber broadband, voice, IPTV, and enterprise technology services in regional U.S. markets.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Altafiber is the operating brand used by Cincinnati Bell, Inc., a regional telecommunications provider headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The business traces its origins to the City and Suburban Telegraph Association, founded by Charles Kilgour in 1873. It initially operated telegraph lines between homes and businesses, obtained the Bell telephone franchise for the Cincinnati area in 1878, and developed into the incumbent local exchange carrier for much of the Greater Cincinnati region. The company’s historical service territory spans parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, while its later acquisition of Hawaiian Telcom extended the group’s incumbent telephone operations to Hawaii. For much of its history, the business was associated with the Bell System but remained distinct from the Regional Bell Operating Companies because AT&T held only a minority interest. It operated under the Cincinnati Bell name for most of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, gradually moving from traditional fixed-line telephony into internet access, broadband, fiber optics, entertainment, long-distance calling, and enterprise information technology. Its legacy telephone operations remain important to the company’s identity, but declining demand for conventional voice lines led management to emphasize fiber infrastructure and business communications. The company launched Fioptics fiber services in 2009, offering fiber-based internet, telephone, and IPTV. Fiber became the principal growth platform for the Cincinnati business, with service availability expanding across portions of the metropolitan area. The company also pursued diversification through acquisitions, including OnX Enterprise Solutions in 2017 and Hawaiian Telcom Holdco in 2018. OnX added enterprise IT capabilities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, while Hawaiian Telcom added a statewide incumbent local exchange carrier operation and expanded the group’s fiber footprint. Cincinnati Bell discontinued its wireless business in 2015 after selling wireless spectrum and related assets to Verizon Wireless. It also divested or separated other non-core activities over time, including its directory publishing operation and the Broadwing long-distance business. These moves reflected a strategy centered on fiber broadband, enterprise services, and telecommunications infrastructure rather than a broad consumer conglomerate model. Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets acquired Cincinnati Bell in September 2021, taking the company private. On March 2, 2022, the business announced that it would operate under the Altafiber name. The legal entity remained Cincinnati Bell, Inc. at the time of the rebranding, while Altafiber became the customer-facing identity for its communications operations. The brand presents the company as a modern fiber-oriented provider while retaining the underlying regional network, local exchange carrier operations, and enterprise capabilities developed under Cincinnati Bell. Altafiber’s principal offerings include fiber internet, fixed-line telephone service, IPTV, business connectivity, cloud and managed technology services, and long-distance communications. Its residential business is concentrated in the Cincinnati area and nearby communities, while Hawaiian Telcom serves Hawaii and OnX provides enterprise services across several countries. Publicly available material does not establish a separate legal entity, standalone financial statements, or brand-specific customer totals for Altafiber.
History
Altafiber is the modern operating identity of a telecommunications business whose history begins with Cincinnati’s nineteenth-century telegraph and telephone networks. Charles Kilgour founded the City and Suburban Telegraph Association on July 5, 1873. The enterprise connected homes and businesses by telegraph and later secured exclusive rights to the Bell telephone franchise within approximately 25 miles of Cincinnati. Its first telephone customer was Cincinnati Gas-Light and Coke Company, which signed up in 1877. The company was renamed the Cincinnati and Suburban Bell Telephone Company in 1903. Between 1930 and 1952 it converted exchanges from operator-assisted switchboards to dial service, introduced seven-digit dialing in 1962, and adopted electronic switching equipment in 1968. In 1971 it simplified its corporate name to Cincinnati Bell. Although historically affiliated with the Bell System, it was not a Regional Bell Operating Company: AT&T held a minority stake rather than controlling the company, and the business retained a distinctive regional position. During the 1990s, Cincinnati Bell expanded beyond local telephone service into internet access, wireless communications, long-distance service, and broader network operations. Its acquisition of the IXC Communications network led to the Broadwing Communications identity and created substantial debt after the long-distance business underperformed. In 2004, the holding company separated the long-distance operation as Broadwing Corporation and returned to the Cincinnati Bell name. The company also sold its directory business in 2002, creating CBD Media. The business increasingly concentrated on broadband and fiber. It introduced Fioptics in late 2009 as a fiber-based package combining internet, telephone, and IPTV. Fiber investment became a central response to declining traditional voice subscriptions and competition from cable and wireless providers. Cincinnati Bell also entered retail electricity in 2011 through a partnership with Viridian Energy, although telecommunications remained its core activity. Cincinnati Bell exited wireless service in 2015. Its wireless operation had developed through earlier investments and acquisitions, including control of a Cincinnati-Dayton PCS network and later full ownership of Cincinnati Bell Wireless. The company sold wireless spectrum and associated assets to Verizon Wireless and ended its own wireless service on February 28, 2015. The company pursued selected acquisitions in enterprise technology and regional telecommunications. It bought OnX Enterprise Solutions in 2017, adding IT services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In 2018 it acquired Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, bringing Hawaii’s incumbent local telephone provider into the group and materially increasing the combined fiber footprint. Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets acquired Cincinnati Bell in September 2021. On March 2, 2022, the company announced that it would conduct business as Altafiber. The rebrand changed the public-facing identity but did not immediately change the legal name Cincinnati Bell, Inc. Altafiber now presents the business as a fiber-led regional communications provider, while the wider group continues to encompass local exchange carrier, broadband, IPTV, voice, and enterprise technology activities.
- 2022
Altafiber brand introduced
[1]Cincinnati Bell began doing business as Altafiber, highlighting its fiber-oriented strategy.
- 2021
Acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets
[1]The acquisition took Cincinnati Bell private.
- 2018
Hawaiian Telcom acquired
[1]The transaction added Hawaii’s incumbent local exchange carrier to the company’s operations.
- 2017
OnX Enterprise Solutions acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded the group’s enterprise IT and managed-services business.
- 2015
Wireless service discontinued
[1]Cincinnati Bell ended its wireless service after selling related spectrum and assets to Verizon Wireless.
- 2009
Fioptics launched
[1]The company began offering fiber-based internet, telephone, and IPTV services under the Fioptics name.
- 2002
Directory business separated
[1]Cincinnati Bell sold its directory operations, which became CBD Media.
- 1971
Cincinnati Bell name adopted
[1]The company simplified its corporate name to Cincinnati Bell.
- 1903
Renamed Cincinnati and Suburban Bell Telephone Company
[1]The business formally adopted a name reflecting its Bell telephone franchise and regional service territory.
- 1878
Bell franchise obtained
[1]The company received exclusive Bell franchise rights within a 25-mile radius of Cincinnati.
Products and positioning
Regional fiber broadband and integrated telecommunications provider
Broadband access · 2009
Fiber Internet
Fiber internet is Altafiber’s principal consumer broadband offering. It uses the company’s fiber infrastructure to provide high-capacity fixed internet access in areas that have been wired for service. The offering represents the business’s shift away from dependence on legacy telephone lines and is central to its positioning as a next-generation regional communications provider.
Telephony
Fixed-line voice
Altafiber continues the local and long-distance voice operations historically associated with Cincinnati Bell. These services include fixed-line telephone connectivity for residential and business customers. Traditional voice has declined as wireless and internet-based alternatives have grown, but local exchange carrier obligations and the company’s historical network make voice an enduring part of its service portfolio.
Pay television · 2009
IPTV
IPTV is delivered over the company’s broadband network and has historically been bundled with fiber internet and voice services. It extends Altafiber’s role from connectivity provider into communications and entertainment services, although public reference material does not establish the current availability or detailed packaging of every television product.
Enterprise technology · 2017
Enterprise IT and managed services
Through enterprise operations including OnX, the wider Altafiber group provides information technology, network, and managed communications services to business customers. These capabilities extend beyond the Cincinnati residential market and include operations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The portfolio may include connectivity, infrastructure, and technology support, but a complete current product catalog is not established by the reference material.
Regional telecommunications · 2018
Hawaiian Telcom services
Hawaiian Telcom provides local exchange, broadband, voice, and related telecommunications services across Hawaii. It became part of the Cincinnati Bell group through the 2018 acquisition of Hawaiian Telcom Holdco and remains an important component of the broader Altafiber operating structure.
Mobile communications · 1998
Wireless telephony
Cincinnati Bell Wireless operated GSM and HSPA+ mobile services in parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The business was discontinued on February 28, 2015, after the sale of wireless spectrum and related assets to Verizon Wireless. It is therefore a former service rather than a current Altafiber offering.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Altafiber rebrand
Greater Cincinnati · Hawaii · Other markets served by the group
The company introduced Altafiber as its public-facing business name after the Macquarie acquisition. The rebrand emphasized fiber infrastructure, broadband, and modern communications rather than the legacy telephone identity represented by Cincinnati Bell.
Outcome. Altafiber became the operating brand while Cincinnati Bell, Inc. remained the legal corporate name at the time of the announcement.
Brand decisions
2022
Adoption of Altafiber as the operating brandStrategyBackground
Following the change in ownership, the business sought a market identity that emphasized fiber broadband and contemporary communications services.
Action taken
Cincinnati Bell announced that it would begin doing business as Altafiber on March 2, 2022.
Aftermath
Altafiber became the customer-facing brand for the company’s regional communications operations, while the legal name was not immediately changed.
2021
Acquisition by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real AssetsM&ABackground
Cincinnati Bell entered a transaction that changed its ownership structure and removed it from public-market ownership.
Action taken
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets acquired Cincinnati Bell in September 2021.
Aftermath
The company became privately owned and soon introduced Altafiber as its operating brand.
2018
Acquisition of Hawaiian TelcomM&ABackground
The transaction expanded Cincinnati Bell’s regional telecommunications footprint and added a statewide Hawaii incumbent local exchange carrier.
Action taken
Cincinnati Bell acquired Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Aftermath
The acquisition added Hawaiian telecommunications operations and increased the combined fiber network footprint.
Acquisition consideration. $650 million (2018)
2017
Acquisition of OnX Enterprise SolutionsM&ABackground
Cincinnati Bell sought to expand its enterprise technology and managed-services capabilities.
Action taken
The company acquired Toronto-based OnX Enterprise Solutions.
Aftermath
The group gained enterprise IT operations serving customers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Acquisition consideration. $201 million (2017)
2014
Exit from wireless operationsStrategyBackground
The company sought to focus on enterprise communications, entertainment, and fiber broadband rather than maintain a regional wireless network.
Action taken
Cincinnati Bell announced the sale of wireless spectrum and related assets to Verizon Wireless and subsequently ended Cincinnati Bell Wireless service.
Aftermath
Wireless service ended on February 28, 2015, and retail locations began selling Verizon products.
2009
Launch of Fioptics fiber servicesProduct launchBackground
Declining traditional voice demand and increasing competition from cable and wireless providers encouraged the company to invest in higher-capacity broadband infrastructure.
Action taken
Cincinnati Bell introduced fiber-based internet, telephone, and IPTV services under the Fioptics name.
Aftermath
Fiber became a central element of the company’s network strategy and later supported the Altafiber brand positioning.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Macquarie Infrastructure Partners V completes acquisition of Cincinnati Bell[3]
Macquarie Infrastructure Partners V finalized its $2.9 billion acquisition of Cincinnati Bell.
Macquarie Infrastructure Partners to acquire Cincinnati Bell[4]
Reported:
Cincinnati Bell and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners announced an agreement under which a MIP-controlled subsidiary would acquire all outstanding Cincinnati Bell shares for $15.50 per share in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $2.9 billion including debt. The transaction was expected to close in the first half of 2021, subject to closing conditions.
Cincinnati Bell terminates Brookfield acquisition agreement[4]
Reported:
Cincinnati Bell terminated its previously announced merger agreement with Brookfield after its board determined that Macquarie Infrastructure Partners' proposal was a superior proposal and Brookfield declined to amend its agreement. Cincinnati Bell paid Brookfield a $24.8 million break-up fee.
Cincinnati Bell receives unsolicited acquisition proposal[5]
Reported:
Cincinnati Bell announced that it received a non-binding proposal from an infrastructure fund to acquire all of its outstanding common shares for $12 per share in cash. The company said it had commenced discussions with the fund; no binding proposal or transaction was assured.
Brookfield agrees to acquire Cincinnati Bell[6]
Reported:
Cincinnati Bell and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners announced that they had agreed to a deal valued at about $2.6 billion for Brookfield to acquire Cincinnati Bell. The transaction remained subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and was expected to close by the end of 2020.
Sources9 sources
- 1Altafiberen.wikipedia.org
- 2Altafiber official websitealtafiber.com
- 3麦格理基础设施合作伙伴V完成对辛辛那提贝尔的收购crn.com
- 4麦格理基础设施合作伙伴拟收购辛辛那提贝尔prnewswire.com
- 5Cincinnati Bell 收到非邀约收购提议prnewswire.com
- 6Brookfield同意收购Cincinnati Bellfox19.com
- 7Cincinnati Bell To Be Acquired By Canadian Company | 700WLW700wlw.iheart.com
- 8Cincinnati Bell To Be Acquired In $2.6 Billion Dealwvxu.org
- 9Cincinnati Bell will be acquired by Toronto-based company in $2.6 billion dealwcpo.com
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