Francisco Maella has been appointed chief executive officer of Dallas-based Gigapower, the nation’s largest, commercial open-access fiber broadband provider, succeeding Gigapower’s founding CEO, Bill Hogg.

Maella and Hogg will work closely during a planned leadership transition to ensure continuity for employees, customers, and partners, the company said.

“I’m immensely proud of what we have accomplished in both the founding of Gigapower as well as driving fiber innovation in the United States,” Hogg said in a statement. “I’m confident that Francisco will successfully lead Gigapower through its next chapter of growth and scale.”

Launched by AT&T and BlackRock Alternatives in 2022

A joint venture between Dallas-based AT&T and BlackRock Alternatives, Gigapower was launched in 2022 with a goal of increasing internet access to communities across the U.S. The company aims to revolutionize the industry’s business model by operating as an open-access platform.

Gigapower said it has connected more than 150 municipalities to high-speed broadband across nine states, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Minnesota.

Under Maella’s leadership, Gigapower said it remains focused on reaching 1.5 million fiber locations nationwide. Gigapower said that its open access expansion translates to more choice for residents—supporting economic development and narrowing the digital divide in underserved areas.

“Bill and his team pioneered a commercial open access approach to allow more customers in even more communities to have greater choice when it comes to how they access the internet,” Maella said in a statement. “I’m excited to partner with our employees and stakeholders to further scale that model, elevate our customer experience, and execute with operational excellence.”

Maella is a veteran executive with 29 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 20 years in executive management roles within private equity–backed portfolio companies. He has served as CEO and chief technology officer of Dobson Fiber, as well as chief operating officer of Alpheus Communications.

Gigapower said its commercial wholesale, open access platform enables internet service providers and other businesses to access its multi-gig fiber network in select metropolitan areas across the nation. Residents and business owners in these communities need more and faster broadband for future growth opportunities to power where they work, study, and play.

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