Verizon buys the not-quite-5G wireless ISP Starry to expand wireless broadband

Verizon is acquiring Starry, the ISP that delivers home internet using antennas and millimeter wave technology. The acquisition “advances” Verizon’s ability to offer high-speed internet in apartments, condominiums, and other multi-dwelling units, the company said on Wednesday.

Starry made its debut in Boston in 2016, offering gigabit speeds via its unconventional approach to internet connectivity. Instead of carrying connectivity across a web of wires — which are expensive and time-consuming to deploy — Starry beams its internet service from a larger antenna into homes via high-speed, short-range mmWave broadcasts. The challenge with those broadcasts is that Starry connections generally require an uninterrupted line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver, as mmWave signals can be easily blocked.

In recent years, Starry has run into trouble, with the company laying off half of its workers in 2022 and filing for bankruptcy in 2023. It also pulled out of one of its markets, Columbus, Ohio, leaving Starry with nearly 100,000 customers across Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC.

It sounds like Starry’s tech will end up getting used by Verizon. Through the acquisition, Verizon plans on expanding its ability to deliver internet connectivity in urban locations, building on its 5G home internet and growing fiber footprint. “Verizon is uniquely positioned to accelerate this expansion because of its significant fiber backbone and extensive holdings of mmWave spectrum,” the company said in its press release.

Verizon expects the deal to close in 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The Federal Communications Commission signed off on Verizon’s $20 billion acquisition of fiber internet provider Frontier in May after Verizon agreed to drop its diversity, equity, and inclusivity policies. Verizon also just appointed a new CEO this week: longtime PayPal head Dan Schulman.

“Starry has demonstrated a unique and efficient approach to delivering high-speed internet in complex MDU [multi-dwelling unit] environments,” Joe Russo, Verizon’s EVP and president of global networks and technology, said. “This architecture is less expensive to build, quicker to deploy, and uniquely addresses the complexities of urban settings where we can leverage our existing fiber and mmWave assets.”