Baja Broadband

About Baja Broadband

Baja Broadband was a telecommunications company that provided video, high-speed internet, and voice services. The company was founded in 2006 and was headquartered in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Baja Broadband was established when private equity firms M/C Partners and Columbia Capital acquired non-core systems from Charter Communications in New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. The company later expanded its assets in 2011 by purchasing the southwestern assets of US Cable. At the time of its acquisition, Baja Broadband was managed by Last Mile Communications, a telecommunications consulting firm, with Peter Kahelin serving as CEO.

The company operated as a full-service communications provider, catering to both residential and commercial clients. Its business model revolved around offering bundled services, commonly known as the "triple play" of cable television, broadband internet, and digital phone services. This strategy was implemented across its network, which passed over 212,000 homes in communities within Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. By the end of 2012, approximately 96% of Baja's network was upgraded to support high-capacity broadband and video services. The company generated revenue through subscriptions to its various service offerings.

In a significant milestone, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) announced its agreement to acquire Baja Broadband in February 2013 for approximately $267.5 million. The acquisition was finalized on August 1, 2013, becoming the largest acquisition for TDS at the time. Prior to the acquisition, Baja had reported annual revenues of $82.4 million for 2012 and had around 285 employees. Following the acquisition, Baja Broadband continued to operate under its own name for a period before being fully rebranded as TDS in May 2015. This transition was part of TDS's broader strategy to leverage Baja's network to expand its service offerings, particularly in underserved markets and to commercial customers.