Empire

What Empire does

Empire, operating as Empire Fiber Internet and Empire Access, is a privately held regional telecommunications company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Prattsburgh, New York. The company provides residential and business customers in New York and Pennsylvania with 100% fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) internet services delivering symmetrical upload and download speeds. Its core product portfolio consists of three residential tiers — Essential at 500 Mbps, Enhanced at 1 Gig, and Elite at 2 Gig — complemented by add-on services including home phone, whole-home Wi-Fi, and streaming TV. For business customers, Empire offers dedicated fiber solutions targeted at small businesses, enterprise organizations, and multi-dwelling (MDU) properties. Customer-facing network management software (CommandIQ for residential users and CommandWorx for business users) provides device and network control via mobile applications.

The company monetizes entirely through subscription-based recurring monthly fees, supported by a transparent pricing model featuring no contracts, no hidden fees, free professional installation, and a 3-year price lock guarantee on enhanced and elite plans, with a $10 monthly discount for autopay and e-billing enrollment. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce shop (shop.empireaccess.com), phone sales at 844-430-4745, and field technicians for installation and on-the-ground sales, supplemented by content marketing, email, community sponsorships, and local events.

Empire operates as an independent, self-funded regional fiber overbuilder. No external funding rounds, parent company, mergers, acquisitions, leadership changes, or patent portfolio are disclosed in the available data. The company has been actively expanding its network footprint through 2026, bringing service to Livingston, Lehigh Valley PA (its first announced entry into Pennsylvania), Steuben County NY, Wellsville NY, and Victor NY. Recognition includes the 2021 PC Magazine Fastest ISP award, consecutive FLX Finest Best IT Technology Provider and Best of the Twin Tier ISP honors in 2023 and 2024, and the 2025 Nextdoor Most-Loved Business designation.

Name

Empire

Legal name

Empire Access

Website

https://empiretelephone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Empire Fiber Internet (Empire Access) is a privately held, New York–based regional fiber-to-the-premises ISP serving residential and business customers across New York and Pennsylvania with symmetrical speeds up to 2 Gig.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Internet Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB)

Keywords

• Fiber internet services
• Residential broadband
• Business connectivity
• Telecommunications services
• Fiber-to-the-premises

Headquarters

HQ city

Prattsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Residential Fiber Internet Service: Monthly subscription-based internet service for residential customers with tiered plans (Essential, Enhanced, Elite) offering speeds from 500 Mbps to 2 Gig
2. Business Fiber Internet Service: Dedicated fiber connectivity solutions for small businesses, enterprise organizations, and multifamily (MDU) properties with scalable options
3. Additional Services: Home phone service, whole-home Wi-Fi, and streaming TV services bundled with or sold alongside internet packages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empire is a regional fiber internet service provider operating a 100% fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network that delivers symmetrical broadband internet, home phone, whole-home Wi-Fi, and streaming TV services to residential and business customers in New York and Pennsylvania. The company offers tiered residential plans (500 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig) and dedicated fiber solutions for small businesses, enterprises, and multifamily (MDU) properties.

Product overview

Empire is a fiber internet service provider offering a unified product portfolio centered on residential and business fiber connectivity. The core offering consists of three residential internet service tiers (Essential Plan at 500 Mbps, Enhanced Plan at 1 Gig, and Elite Plan at 2 Gig) with symmetrical speeds and included equipment. These plans are complemented by add-on services including Home Phone, Whole-Home Wi-Fi, and Streaming TV for complete home connectivity. For business customers, Empire provides Small Business Fiber Internet, Enterprise Business Fiber Internet, and Multifamily (MDU) Fiber Internet solutions. The company also offers proprietary network management applications—CommandIQ App for residential customers and CommandWorx App for business customers—to manage network settings and connected devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Essential Plan Entry-level residential fiber internet plan delivering 500 Mbps symmetrical download and upload speeds for everyday streaming, gaming, browsing, and video calls. Includes Wi-Fi router and modem, free professional installation, and built-in 24/7 Wi-Fi security, with no contracts or hidden fees.
• Enhanced Plan Mid-tier residential fiber internet plan providing 1 Gig symmetrical download and upload speeds for busy households. Supports seamless 4K streaming, gaming, and remote work, with built-in parental controls and network-wide device protection, plus all Essential Plan features.
• Elite Plan Premium residential fiber internet plan delivering 2 Gig symmetrical speeds for power users. Supports 4K/8K streaming and gaming with priority performance, advanced network management, full network control, and zero lag, including all Enhanced Plan features.
• Home Phone Residential landline phone service providing voice connectivity bundled with home fiber internet packages.
• Whole-Home Wi-Fi Wi-Fi service delivering comprehensive wireless coverage throughout the entire home, offered as an add-on to residential fiber internet plans.
• Streaming TV Streaming television service enabling residential customers to watch TV content delivered over their fiber internet connection, with access to streaming resources and marketplace tools.
• Small Business Fiber Internet Fiber internet connectivity solutions tailored for small business operations, providing reliable high-speed internet with scalable options to support daily operations and growth.
• Enterprise Business Fiber Internet High-capacity fiber internet solutions designed for enterprise organizations with demanding connectivity requirements and growing communication needs.
• Multifamily Fiber Internet (MDU) Fiber internet service tailored for multi-dwelling communities (MDUs), delivering building-wide fiber connectivity to residents in apartment buildings and housing complexes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Speeds up to 2 Gig available

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Consolidated Communications: Regional fiber and broadband provider (now under Searchlight Capital) serving residential and business customers across 20+ states with FTTH expansion — comparable FTTP deployment strategy in underserved markets.
• Buckeye Broadband: Regional fiber and cable broadband provider serving residential and business customers in Ohio and Michigan with similar gigabit tiers and triple-play bundles.
• Zito Media: Privately held regional fiber and cable broadband provider serving small towns and rural communities across NY, PA, and the Midwest — highly comparable in scale, geography, and customer mix.
• TDS Telecom: Regional wireline and fiber broadband operator serving small-town and rural communities across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast — directly comparable in target market and fiber-over-copper playbook.
• Greenlight Networks: Buffalo, NY-based fiber-to-the-home ISP serving residential and small business customers across upstate New York with symmetrical gigabit speeds — closely comparable in geography, technology (100% FTTP), and customer target.
• Armstrong: Regional fiber and cable broadband provider serving residential and business customers across Pennsylvania and surrounding states with similar triple-play bundles and tiered gigabit plans.

Broad incumbents

• AT&T Fiber: National FTTH provider with extensive fiber footprint across NY and PA — represents the largest competitive threat in shared geographies and the upper bound on residential ARPU benchmarks.
• Frontier Communications: Large-scale fiber ISP aggressively expanding FTTP across NY, PA, and 25+ other states — directly overlaps Empire's territories with significant capital and national scale.
• Brightspeed: Apollo-backed fiber overbuilder rapidly deploying FTTH across 20 states including the Northeast — competing for the same small-market fiber overbuild opportunity as Empire.
• Verizon Fios: Major nationwide FTTH provider offering symmetrical gigabit service — represents the scaled, well-capitalized incumbent fiber benchmark Empire competes against in overlapping markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EmpireFOS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-telephone-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empire