Read more about an ask from our Partner/ installer and Internet Service provider Next Level Networks to scale their operations to serve us better.
LAH Community Fiber - February 2022 Newsletter
February 2022
Dear LAHCF newsletter subscribers,
As many of you know, our partner, Next Level Networks, works closely with LAHCF to pioneer a new approach to building fiber broadband networks. Our mutual success has inspired other communities around the country to launch resident-owned and operated fiber networks. In addition to our massive project in Los Altos Hills, Next Level Networks is also installing and managing community fiber projects in Woodside, Palo Alto, Los Gatos and Santa Rosa. Next Level Networks is currently raising money to expand its team and operations to address the huge demand in Los Altos Hills and elsewhere. LAHCF has worked closely with the team at Next Level over the past four years and we support their efforts to expand their operations to better address the needs of the Los Altos Hills community and the surrounding communities.
I encourage you to read the letter below from the management of Next Level. Next Level would like to invite its earliest customers and supporters to invest in its expansion and enable Next Level to better serve the residents of the town. If you wish to follow up with NLN, there is contact and follow up information in the letter. This letter can also be found directly as a PDF attachment here.
LAHCF is working with the community and the town to increase the speed in which the fiber backbone is extended throughout the town. Likewise, as we begin to handle numerous project installations concurrently, we support Next Level’s efforts to expand their team and operations. We look forward to continuing the strong partnership between LAHCF, Next Level and the Town of Los Altos Hills. Feel free to reach out to me or other members of the board if you have questions or follow up directly with Next Level.
We look forward to significantly expanding the network and membership of LAHCF in 2022.
Members and Supporters of the Los Altos Hills Community Fiber cooperative,
Darrell and I wanted to take a moment to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who has worked with the team at Next Level Networks (NLN) as we continue to expand the Los Altos Hills Community Fiber network (LAHCF). As many of you know, Los Altos Hills was the first community to apply our disruptive model for deploying next-generation internet service and has served as our pilot system. It has been an incredible partnership that has been critical to establishing our innovative approach to delivering high-speed broadband to underserved communities. We have very much appreciated and valued your support, advice and help throughout this process.
In order to expand our team to better serve Los Altos Hills and other communities, we are currently raising capital to fund NLN’s expansion. LAHCF and the town are working together on plans to offer service throughout the town as rapidly as possible and NLN will need to expand its team and capabilities to support these ambitious plans. We are also scaling up our operations to serve many additional communities who are seeking to take control of their broadband infrastructure. As the earliest customers and advocates of our model, we would like to invite you to join us in this journey on the next phase of growth.
We are currently seeking participation in two investment rounds: a $600,000 seed round (via SAFE agreement) and a $15M priced equity round to support our ambitious expansion plans. This funding will allow us to expand our team, prepurchase inventory (to combat post-Covid supply chain challenges), provide working capital and to make further investments in our software platform. We can think of no better group of investors than the people who have helped us validate our approach and would welcome your participation in our long term success. We would also welcome introductions to institutional investors or individuals whom you believe may be interested in becoming a lead investor in our priced equity round.
Our unique approach directly empowers communities to take control of their broadband destiny by installing and owning the fastest residential internet capability available anywhere. Our network ownership model is disruptive in a manner reminiscent to how Airbnb and Uber disrupted their respective industries: it is a “capital lite” solution for NLN that is inherently more scalable than alternate approaches.
We have built a software platform that streamlines customer acquisition and network operations (providing us with a significant competitive advantage) and are also working to put in place network financing options that will allow NLN to realize its full potential to address the nation’s Digital Divide.
NLN has achieved incredible momentum that includes not just LAHCF’s considerable expansion (funded expansions will pass over 500 households as of this email), but also community network projects in Los Gatos, Woodside, Santa Rosa and Palo Alto. We further have a considerable pipeline of customer projects and partnerships that will both bolster our near-term growth and lay the groundwork for channel-driven expansion down the road.
Finally, we are exploring the use of federal and state programs to subsidize fiber network installations and operations. Our Congressional Representative, Anna Eshoo, has strongly embraced our solution as a way to solve the national broadband crisis. She has been a vocal supporter and called out LAHCF as an example in a speech seeking support for her current telecommunications bill before Congress.
Thank you again for your trust, support and encouragement as we have proven the effectiveness of our unique model and technology platform in Los Altos Hills. We hope you will consider joining us in the adventure that lies ahead and sharing in the continued success of our company.
I welcome your inquiries and questions and am available to schedule a conversation or provide materials that will explain our company and growth plans in more detail. Feel free to contact me directly at David.Barron@NextLevel.net or at 650-716-5006.
We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing our work in Los Altos Hills.
All the best,
David Barron
Chief Executive Officer
Darrell Gentry
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
