Empire Access
Empire Access is a family-owned fiber-to-the-premise broadband provider serving residential, business, and community institution customers across rural New York and Pennsylvania, backed by Antin Infrastructure Partners and expanding via state and federal grant-funded rural buildouts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1896
- HeadquartersPrattsburgh, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Empire Access does
Empire Access is a family-owned fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband provider headquartered in Prattsburgh, New York, delivering high-speed fiber internet to residential, small-to-medium business, and community institution customers across New York and Pennsylvania. The company operates an aerial fiber infrastructure footprint that includes 68 miles installed as part of its Light Up Livingston initiative, with service coverage spanning projects across 28 New York State counties. Core products are the Empire Fiber Internet residential and business broadband service and the Light Up Livingston broadband expansion program, both delivered over owned FTTP infrastructure rather than leased copper or wireless alternatives.
The business model is subscription-based recurring revenue, with residential and business customers paying monthly fees for symmetrical high-speed fiber connectivity. Some services in expanded areas are subsidized through New York State's ConnectALL program, with qualifying households able to access service for as little as $10 per month. Distribution is direct-to-consumer, supplemented by community outreach programs in target expansion areas. Pricing tiers for standard plans are not publicly disclosed.
In 2022, Empire Access received a private equity investment from Antin Infrastructure Partners (alongside North Penn Telephone) to fund expansion of its fiber broadband footprint across the region. The company is now executing a multi-year rural buildout backed by New York State ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program and USDA ReConnect grant funding, with individual home service connections in newly expanded Livingston County communities scheduled to begin in summer and fall 2026. The company employs 51-100 people and was originally founded in 1896.
Empire Access firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Empire Access
- Website
- https://www.empireaccess.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1896
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Empire Access is a family-owned fiber-to-the-premise broadband provider serving residential, business, and community institution customers across rural New York and Pennsylvania, backed by Antin Infrastructure Partners and expanding via state and federal grant-funded rural buildouts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Empire Access industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber Broadband Telecommunications
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG), Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Empire Access is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Prattsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Empire Access business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Fiber Internet Services: Subscription-based high-speed fiber internet services for residential customers in New York and Pennsylvania communities.
- Business/Broadband Services: Fiber broadband services for businesses and community institutions, including government and educational facilities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Empire Access product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Empire Access provides fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband internet services to residential and business customers across New York and Pennsylvania. The company builds, owns, and operates its own fiber network infrastructure, delivering high-speed symmetrical internet connectivity. It also pursues large-scale rural broadband expansion projects (e.g., Light Up Livingston) funded by state and federal grant programs.
Product overview
Empire Access is a telecommunications company providing fiber-to-the-premise broadband services. The company's primary offering is Empire Fiber Internet, which delivers high-speed fiber connectivity to residential and business customers across New York and Pennsylvania. The Light Up Livingston initiative represents a major infrastructure expansion project bringing fiber broadband to underserved communities in Livingston County, NY, with 68 miles of aerial fiber installed and service rollouts planned for 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Light Up Livingston: A broadband initiative to expand high-speed fiber internet service to Livingston County communities in New York.
Products and services
- Empire Fiber Internet Fiber-to-the-premise broadband internet service providing high-speed symmetrical fiber connectivity to residential and business customers in New York and Pennsylvania communities.
Companies that use Empire Access
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Empire Access technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Empire Access partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Empire Access competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Point Broadband: A rural-focused fiber and fixed wireless broadband provider serving small communities across the Southeast and Midwest, sharing a similar rural broadband expansion thesis with Empire Access.
- Vexus Fiber: A PE-backed fiber-to-the-premise operator building greenfield fiber networks in underserved markets across Texas, Louisiana, and expanding into the Northeast, following a comparable rural/small-city FTTH playbook.
Direct peers
- North Penn Telephone: A fiber-to-the-premise broadband provider in Pennsylvania co-invested alongside Empire Access by Antin Infrastructure Partners in 2022. Operates an almost identical rural FTTH business model in an adjacent geography.
- Frontier Communications: A major fiber and wireline broadband provider with overlapping footprint across New York and Pennsylvania, actively building out FTTP in rural markets that directly compete with Empire Access's service areas.
- Brightspeed: A PE-backed (Apollo) fiber broadband operator formed from Lumen's divestiture, focused on upgrading legacy copper networks to FTTP in rural and small-town markets across 20 states, closely mirroring Empire's rural FTTH thesis.
- Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC): A member-owned cooperative telecom providing fiber-to-the-home broadband across South Carolina, comparable in rural focus, FTTH infrastructure, and community-based GTM motion to Empire Access's rural NY/PA operations.
Broad incumbents
- Consolidated Communications: A larger incumbent fiber broadband provider serving rural and small-town markets across multiple states, including parts of New York. Now under private ownership (Searchlight Capital and BCI) pursuing a fiber-first strategy directly comparable to Empire's.
- TDS Telecom: A subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems operating fiber broadband in rural and small-town markets across more than 30 states, providing an established comparable for rural FTTH unit economics and operations.
- Breezeline (Atlantic Broadband): A Cogeco subsidiary operating fiber and cable broadband across the Northeast US, including rural and suburban markets that overlap with Empire Access's NY/PA footprint.
Regional players
- Armstrong: A family-owned regional fiber and cable broadband operator serving parts of Pennsylvania and adjacent states with overlapping FTTH deployments to similar customer segments as Empire Access.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Empire Access social profiles
Digital presenceEmpire Access financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Empire Access leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Empire Access funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Empire Access M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Empire Access
What does Empire Access do?
Empire Access provides fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband internet services to residential and business customers across New York and Pennsylvania. The company builds, owns, and operates its own fiber network infrastructure, delivering high-speed symmetrical internet connectivity. It also pursues large-scale rural broadband expansion projects (e.g., Light Up Livingston) funded by state and federal grant programs.
Is Empire Access a public or private company?
Empire Access is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Empire Access founded?
Empire Access was founded in 1896. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Empire Access based?
Empire Access is headquartered in Prattsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Empire Access make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Residential Fiber Internet Services are the primary driver. The others are business/Broadband Services.
Who are Empire Access's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Point Broadband and Vexus Fiber. Direct peers are North Penn Telephone, Frontier Communications, Brightspeed and Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC). Broad incumbents are Consolidated Communications, TDS Telecom and Breezeline (Atlantic Broadband). Armstrong is listed as a regional player.
Does Empire Access have an API?
No public API is recorded for Empire Access.
What industry is Empire Access in?
Empire Access's product category is Fiber Broadband Telecommunications. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers, with a secondary code of HDAIACAG, Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators. Its NAICS code is 5171 and its SIC code is 4899.