When did Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications complete their merger?

Grain Management announced the completion of the merger on September 2, 2026, after first announcing the planned combination in June 2026.

Ritter and Great Plains Complete Merger to Create Rightfiber

THE SHORT ANSWER

The merger of Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications is now complete, creating Rightfiber. Grain Management announced the closing on September 2, 2026, following the original combination announcement in June.

Rightfiber now serves more than 400 communities across 20 states and has more than 300,000 Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) passings through a 28,000-mile fiber network.

The launch also comes with a major new source of funding: Rightfiber has entered into a $1.6 billion credit facility led by Fifth Third Bank to support organic expansion and potential future acquisitions.

Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications complete merger to create Rightfiber

THE KEY NUMBERS

MEASUREMENT	FIGURE	WHAT IT MEANS
Communities served	400+	Rightfiber is now operating at scale across hundreds of local and regional markets.
Geographic footprint	20 states	The completed company has a substantial multi-state fiber footprint.
FTTH passings	300,000+	More than 300,000 homes and other locations are passed by the combined Fiber-to-the-Home network.
Fiber network	28,000 miles	Ritter and Great Plains now sit within one large regional fiber platform.
Credit facility	$1.6 billion	The financing is intended to support organic growth and potential M&A.

WHAT DOES THE COMPLETED MERGER MEAN FOR CUSTOMERS?

Rightfiber says customers can expect a seamless transition. Existing services, local support teams and established customer relationships are remaining in place as the combined company works through systems integration.

That means the completion of the merger does not, by itself, signal an interruption to broadband service. The company says customers will also benefit from the larger organisation's resources, capabilities and investment programme.

The completion announcement did not set out merger-wide changes to residential pricing or packages. Customers should continue to follow official Rightfiber, Ritter or Great Plains communications for any account-specific changes.

RIGHTFIBER SAYS THE CUSTOMER TRANSITION WILL BE SEAMLESS

Existing services and local support teams remain in place while systems integration continues behind the scenes.

THE $1.6 BILLION GROWTH FACILITY

One of the biggest new details in the closing announcement is Rightfiber's $1.6 billion credit facility, led by Fifth Third Bank. The company says the funding will support both continued organic growth and potential mergers and acquisitions.

That matters because the June announcement already positioned Rightfiber as a platform for expansion. With the merger now closed and financing in place, the company has moved from a proposed combination to an operating business with capital available for network builds and possible further deals.

WHAT THE FINANCING IS FOR

Rightfiber says the facility will fund organic growth and potential M&A, making expansion one of the clearest themes to watch after the merger.

WHY DOES THE COMPLETED RIGHTFIBER MERGER MATTER?

The key change is that Rightfiber is no longer simply a planned combination. The transaction has closed, the network is connected and the company says systems integration is already in progress.

Rightfiber now combines a 28,000-mile fiber network with more than 300,000 FTTH passings and operations across 20 states. That gives the business significantly more scale than either regional provider had on its own and broadens the services it can offer to homes, businesses, carriers, hyperscalers and community partners.

DEVELOPMENT	WHY IT MATTERS
Merger completed	Rightfiber is now the operating company rather than a proposed future combination.
Systems integration underway	The next phase is combining operations while keeping customer services running normally.
$1.6 billion financing	Rightfiber has funding available for organic expansion and potential acquisitions.
Broader customer reach	The combined platform serves residential, business, carrier, hyperscaler and community customers.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Heath Simpson is now Chief Executive Officer of Rightfiber. In the completion announcement, Simpson said the team is in place, the network is connected and systems integration is in process.

The next phase is likely to centre on bringing systems and operations together, expanding the network and deciding where to deploy the new financing. Rightfiber has also explicitly left the door open to potential M&A as part of its growth strategy.

WHAT TO WATCH	WHY IT MATTERS
Systems integration	This will show how quickly Ritter and Great Plains become one customer-facing operation.
New fiber construction	Rightfiber says it will keep investing in network expansion across its growing footprint.
Future acquisitions	The $1.6 billion facility can support potential M&A as well as organic growth.
Customer migration	Rightfiber has promised a seamless transition while existing services and local support remain in place.

OUR VIEW

The most important part of this update is that the deal has moved from proposal to execution. Rightfiber now exists as the combined company, with a connected network, a 20-state footprint and systems integration underway.

The $1.6 billion credit facility makes the growth story more significant. Rightfiber is not only combining two established regional providers; it now has substantial financing available for new fiber construction and potentially further acquisitions.

For customers, the near-term issue is much simpler: whether the company can integrate the two businesses without disrupting service or local support. Rightfiber says those services and support relationships will remain in place, so future customer communications and any later account migrations will be worth watching closely.

FAQS ABOUT THE RIGHTFIBER MERGER

WHAT IS RIGHTFIBER?

Rightfiber is the telecommunications and fiber broadband company formed through the completed merger of Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications.

WHEN DID RITTER AND GREAT PLAINS COMPLETE THE MERGER?

Grain Management announced that the combination had been completed on September 2, 2026. The planned merger was first announced in June 2026.

HOW LARGE IS RIGHTFIBER?

Rightfiber serves more than 400 communities across 20 states and has more than 300,000 FTTH passings through a 28,000-mile fiber network.

HOW IS RIGHTFIBER FUNDING FUTURE GROWTH?

Rightfiber has entered into a $1.6 billion credit facility led by Fifth Third Bank to support organic growth and potential M&A.

WILL THE MERGER CHANGE EXISTING CUSTOMER SERVICES?

Rightfiber says customers can expect a seamless transition, with existing services, local support teams and established customer relationships remaining in place.

WHO IS THE CEO OF RIGHTFIBER?

Heath Simpson is the Chief Executive Officer of Rightfiber.