Fatbeam
Fatbeam is a privately held fiber-optic infrastructure provider in the Western United States, operating 150,000+ fiber miles across 8 states. It delivers dedicated internet access, dark fiber, transport, managed security, and residential fiber to enterprise, K-12 education, government, carrier, and residential customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCoeur D'alene, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Fatbeam does
Fatbeam is a privately held, pure fiber-optic infrastructure provider headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, operating across 8 states and 150+ cities in the Western United States. The company owns and operates a network spanning 150,000+ fiber miles with 1,400+ on-net commercial buildings, delivering dedicated internet access (DIA), dark fiber leases, Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL), wavelength transport, fiber-to-the-tower, data center connectivity, and managed security services to enterprise, K-12 education, government, carrier, and residential customers. Backed by formal SLAs (99.99% uptime, 55 ms maximum latency, less than 1% packet loss), Fatbeam's portfolio is anchored in long-tenor recurring contracts, particularly multi-year E-Rate-funded school district agreements and dark fiber leases to carriers and large enterprises.
The company's go-to-market combines a direct consultative enterprise sales motion with competitive bidding under the federal E-Rate program for K-12 school districts, and a self-serve direct-to-consumer online availability-check flow for residential fiber (offering symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gbps). Recent activity includes E-Rate contract wins with Boise Independent School District and Federal Way Public Schools, alongside fiber-to-the-home launches in markets such as Federal Way, Washington. The recurring subscription revenue model is supplemented by managed services revenue from security add-ons (Managed Firewall, DDoS Mitigation, Cloudbeam) and colocation/data center services. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, reflecting standard enterprise and public-sector procurement practice. Fatbeam positions itself as a regional fiber challenger to incumbent carriers in underserved Western U.S. secondary markets, with bundled institutional-plus-residential build-outs in the same community as a distinctive distribution approach.
Fatbeam is led by CEO Paul Merritt alongside founder/co-founder Shawn Swanby, with Danny Pate as COO, Dusti Burmeister as CFO, and Jason Koenders serving as COO & CTO. The company remains private with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the available source data, though its asset base and contract pipeline indicate a growing operating business.
Fatbeam firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fatbeam
- Legal name
- Fatbeam
- Website
- https://fatbeam.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Fatbeam is a privately held fiber-optic infrastructure provider in the Western United States, operating 150,000+ fiber miles across 8 states. It delivers dedicated internet access, dark fiber, transport, managed security, and residential fiber to enterprise, K-12 education, government, carrier, and residential customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fatbeam industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber Optic Network Infrastructure / Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Backhaul & Middle Mile Transport (cell site backhaul, aggregation) (HDAIAEAC), Wholesale ISPs & Bandwidth Resellers (Bulk Transit/Last-Mile) (HDAIADAC), Fiber Backhaul to Towers & Small Cells (Fronthaul/Midhaul/Backhaul) (HDAIAKAK)
Keywords
Where Fatbeam is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coeur D'alene
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fatbeam business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): Fatbeam sells dedicated, symmetrical business internet access with guaranteed bandwidth, quick quote turnaround, and a high-quality customer experience. Revenue is recurring, contracted on multi-year terms, with pricing based on speed tier and location.
- Dark Fiber Leasing: Organizations lease dark fiber strands from Fatbeam to build and operate their own IT infrastructure. This provides exclusive, dedicated fiber capacity with long-term contract economics, supporting scalability for growing enterprises and carriers.
- Transport Services (EVPL, Wavelength): Fatbeam offers Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) and Wavelength services for high-bandwidth transport over its fiber network. These are recurring subscription services targeting carriers and enterprises needing point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connectivity.
- Fiber to the Tower: Fatbeam provides fiber connectivity to wireless cell towers, supporting mobile network operators' infrastructure with minimal resource requirements and rapid deployment timelines.
- Residential Fiber Internet: Residential consumers subscribe to Fatbeam's fiber-to-the-home internet service, paying monthly fees for high-speed symmetrical connectivity. The company also offers residential wireless as a bundled or standalone option.
- Managed Security Services: Fatbeam bundles managed firewall, DDoS mitigation, and cloud security services with its connectivity offerings, providing ongoing security-as-a-service to business customers as an add-on to core network subscriptions.
- Data Center Solutions: Fatbeam offers data center connectivity and colocation services, enabling businesses to take control of their network in a secure environment, with physical and digital security measures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Business Dedicated Internet Access tiers — custom quotes based on speed and location |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Fatbeam product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fatbeam is a pure fiber-based network infrastructure provider delivering dedicated internet access, dark fiber leasing, wavelength and EVPL transport services, fiber-to-the-tower backhaul, managed security, and data center connectivity to enterprise, education, government, and carrier customers across the Western United States. The company also sells residential fiber-to-the-home internet (up to 5 Gbps symmetrical) and residential wireless to homeowners and multi-dwelling communities. Operations span 8 states and 150+ cities, backed by 150,000+ fiber miles and 1,400+ on-net commercial buildings.
Product overview
Fatbeam is a pure fiber-based network solutions provider offering a portfolio of connectivity and security services. The core offering consists of business networking products (Dedicated Internet Access, Dark Fiber, Ethernet Virtual Private Line, Wavelength, Fiber to the Tower, Wireless Backup, Data Center Solutions) complemented by security add-ons (Managed Firewall, DDoS Mitigation, Cloudbeam) and residential services (Fiber for Homes, Fiber for Communities/MDU, Residential Wireless). The company serves commercial, education (K-12), government, carrier, and residential/homeowner segments across 8 states and 150+ cities in the Western United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) Provides dedicated, reliable, symmetrical business internet access with SLA-backed uptime, latency, and packet loss guarantees for mid-market and enterprise customers that cannot tolerate outages.
- Dark Fiber Allows organizations to lease dark fiber strands from Fatbeam to build and operate their own IT infrastructure, providing exclusive, dedicated fiber capacity with long-term contract economics for growing enterprises and carriers.
- Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) Provides a fast transport system on a private line, delivering speed and security at low cost for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint business connectivity.
- Wavelength Increases bandwidth over existing fiber networks, enabling high-capacity data transmission for carriers and enterprises requiring large-scale transport.
- Fiber to the Tower Provides fiber connectivity to wireless cell towers, supporting mobile network operators' backhaul infrastructure with rapid deployment timelines.
- Wireless Backup Provides reliable, low-cost, high-performance backup connectivity solution for business continuity when primary fiber links are disrupted.
- Data Center Solutions Offers secure data center connectivity and colocation services, enabling businesses to take control of their network in a secure environment with physical and digital security measures.
- Fiber for Homes Provides lightning-fast residential internet speeds up to 5 Gbps symmetrical with local support, targeting homeowners in underserved Western U.S. markets.
- Fiber for Communities (MDU) Delivers fiber speed, reliability, and support to multi-dwelling units and residential communities, enabling property owners to bring better broadband to their buildings.
- Residential Wireless Wireless internet access with unlimited data, backed by responsive local support, available as a bundled or standalone residential service.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.99% network uptime — eliminates outage anxiety for businesses managing critical connectivity
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Fatbeam
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Fatbeam technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Fatbeam partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fatbeam competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AT&T Fiber: National incumbent telecom expanding fiber to homes and businesses across the U.S., including Western markets. Comparable on DIA, FTTH, and carrier transport, but as a broad incumbent rather than a regional pure-play.
- Google Fiber: Multi-gig residential and business fiber ISP operating in select Western U.S. markets. Comparable to Fatbeam's premium 5 Gbps residential tier and enterprise connectivity, though typically only in larger metros.
- Comcast Business: Major cable and fiber broadband provider with deep enterprise and residential presence across the Western U.S. Overlaps with Fatbeam on DIA and residential broadband, but as part of a much broader product portfolio rather than a pure-fiber specialist.
- Lumen Technologies (Quantum Fiber): Large incumbent carrier with extensive fiber backbone across the Western U.S. and a residential fiber brand (Quantum Fiber). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping DIA, wavelength, dark fiber, and FTTH products, but at a much larger national scale.
Direct peers
- Consolidated Communications: Regional fiber and broadband operator (now private, owned by Searchlight Capital and BCI) with significant FTTH buildout plans across its footprint. Comparable to Fatbeam in residential FTTH expansion, small/mid-market enterprise DIA, and carrier transport.
- Zayo Group: Large-scale dark fiber, wavelength, and transport provider with a significant Western U.S. footprint. Directly comparable to Fatbeam on the carrier and enterprise wholesale side (dark fiber leases, wavelength, EVPL), though much larger and more national in scope.
- Metronet: Pure-fiber ISP aggressively building FTTH and FTTB across the Midwest, South, and select Western markets. Comparable to Fatbeam in pure-fiber positioning, residential FTTH product, and multi-gig symmetrical speed tiers.
- Astound Broadband (formerly Wave): Regional fiber and cable broadband provider with strong Pacific Northwest presence (Washington, Oregon, California). Directly comparable to Fatbeam in FTTH, residential broadband, and Pacific Northwest enterprise connectivity.
- Syringa Networks: Idaho-headquartered regional fiber provider offering dark fiber, Ethernet transport, and DIA across the Intermountain West. Closely comparable to Fatbeam in geography (Idaho/Mountain West), product mix (DIA, dark fiber, transport), and customer segments (enterprise, carrier, government).
- TPx Communications: Business-focused managed services and connectivity provider offering DIA, Ethernet, and managed security to mid-market and enterprise customers. Comparable to Fatbeam's enterprise DIA, EVPL, and managed security bundle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fatbeam social profiles
Digital presenceFatbeam financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fatbeam leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Fatbeam funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fatbeam 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 Fatbeam
What does Fatbeam do?
Fatbeam is a pure fiber-based network infrastructure provider delivering dedicated internet access, dark fiber leasing, wavelength and EVPL transport services, fiber-to-the-tower backhaul, managed security, and data center connectivity to enterprise, education, government, and carrier customers across the Western United States. The company also sells residential fiber-to-the-home internet (up to 5 Gbps symmetrical) and residential wireless to homeowners and multi-dwelling communities. Operations span 8 states and 150+ cities, backed by 150,000+ fiber miles and 1,400+ on-net commercial buildings.
Is Fatbeam a public or private company?
Fatbeam is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Fatbeam founded?
Fatbeam was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Fatbeam based?
Fatbeam is headquartered in Coeur D'alene, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fatbeam make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) is the primary driver. The others are dark Fiber Leasing, transport Services (EVPL, Wavelength), fiber to the Tower, residential Fiber Internet, managed Security Services and data Center Solutions.
Who are Fatbeam's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AT&T Fiber, Google Fiber, Comcast Business and Lumen Technologies (Quantum Fiber). Direct peers are Consolidated Communications, Zayo Group, Metronet, Astound Broadband (formerly Wave), Syringa Networks and TPx Communications.
Does Fatbeam have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fatbeam.
What industry is Fatbeam in?
Fatbeam's product category is Fiber Optic Network Infrastructure / Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers, with a secondary code of HDAIAEAC, Backhaul & Middle Mile Transport (cell site backhaul, aggregation). Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4813.