Grain Management is aiming to raise USD4 billion for Grain Communications Opportunity Fund IV, which intends to make equity investments in businesses in the fixed broadband, data centre and cell tower sectors. The Wall Street Journal report cites documents prepared for the investment advisory council of Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds. The target represents 78% more capital than Grain raised for its previous fund. Grain Management’s telecoms portfolio currently includes a number of regional US ISPs, including Summit Broadband, Great Plains Communications, Ritter Communications and Hunter Communications, as well as Alares in Brazil.
Grain-backed Great Plains Communications, which owns a 16,500-mile fibre network that connects 13 states, is upgrading its network with Ciena’s Coherent Routing solution and WaveLogic 5 Nano technology. The deployment is expected to increase the telco’s capacity, reliability and resiliency.
Finally, USA Communications has enlisted ADTRAN to deploy 10Gbps XGS-PON technology for its rural and urban customers across Eastern Iowa. The current incarnation of USA Communications was formed in 2003 by Farmers Mutual Telephone and its subsidiary Shellsburg Cablevision.