Underline

Underline Infrastructure is pioneering a new model for community broadband by building intelligent, open-access fiber-optic networks that democratize internet service provision. Founded by Bob Thompson around 2019, Underline operates as the nation's first intelligent community infrastructure platform, designing, financing, constructing, and operating fiber-to-the-home networks in partnership with municipalities across the United States.

Unlike traditional internet service providers that own both infrastructure and services, Underline builds neutral open-access networks that allow multiple service providers to compete over the same fiber infrastructure. This marketplace approach gives consumers unprecedented choice across internet, TV, telehealth, entertainment, and other services while lowering barriers to entry for service providers who don't need to build their own networks. Underline's software-defined, Active Ethernet architecture enables speeds up to 10 Gbps for residential customers and 100 Gbps for enterprises.

Backed by prominent investors including Ares Management, FinTech Collective, Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and Emerson Collective, Underline has raised significant capital to deploy its innovative model. The company's first major deployment in Colorado Springs features a 225-mile fiber network connecting 24,000 homes and 4,000 businesses in Phase I, with expansion underway to Fountain, Colorado and Salinas, California. Underline's commitment to affordability is evident through its partnership with the Affordable Connectivity Program, offering 500 Mbps service at no cost to qualifying households.

Headquartered in New York City with operational presence in its deployment markets, Underline employs 88 people and represents a transformative approach to digital infrastructure. By treating fiber networks as essential public infrastructure while enabling private service competition, Underline is addressing the dual challenges of broadband access and affordability that plague many American communities.