Blackstone-backed internet provider Hotwire claims Tampa Bay territory

Blackstone-backed internet provider Hotwire claims Tampa Bay territory

Fort Lauderdale internet service provider Hotwire Communications is continuing a rapid expansion following an investment from global investment firm Blackstone which has led to a formal entrance to the Tampa Bay market.

Hotwire is quietly taking territory from legacy cable and telecom players that have long dominated the market for ISPs both nationally and locally, said David Ramos, president of Hotwire’s enterprise business.

Hotwire was founded in the early 2000s and initially built a stronghold in the South Florida region. The investment from Blackstone in 2021 and individual geographic growth of clients are both driving the momentum behind Hotwire’s expansion, he said.

The company is now fully active in Texas’ main large metros, in Nevada, Arizona, California, Georgia and the Carolinas, he said.

“Tampa is one of those metro markets that everybody wants a piece of ... and with the potential the market has, and the pace of construction, demand really has not been met by the incumbents,” said Ramos.

Bringing the trillion-dollar investment firm on board as a partner was a game changer, said Ramos.

“They’ve helped us grow but also become more nimble and efficient. Candidly, they took us to parts of the country that we maybe wouldn’t have gone before,” said Ramos.

Hotwire has a heavy commercial focus, from small business clients to large corporate companies. While it has already completed several projects to rewire high-rise buildings and mixed-used developments in downtown Tampa with its company-owned fiber cables, Hotwire is also partnered with large homebuilders to bring its network infrastructure to new construction in untapped markets like in Pasco County.

“It takes a lot of work from regulatory to marketing and physical construction to provide services to end users. ... Now, we’re seeing a lot of competitors trying to mimic what we’ve done,” said Ramos.

Sources: https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2025/04/08/hotwire-expands-tampa-bay-internet-service.html