Cityside Fiber’s goal is to become a “dominant player internet service provider in Orange County,” says Chief Executive Rod Hanson.
The startup’s OC headcount jumped from 36 last year to 71 today, putting it at No. 12 on the Business Journal’s list of biggest Telecommunications and Wireless companies by headcount, a gain of six places.
Hanson says the Irvine-based company continues to expand its footprint throughout Orange County. It is offering its services in Tustin and Dana Point and building in North Tustin, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo, with more cities to be announced later this year.
“Our goal is to become a dominant player internet service provider in Orange County, primarily focused in those areas where there is not fiber today,” Hanson told the Business Journal on Aug. 28.
He says that for now the company is focusing on southern areas of Orange County.
He says Cityside, founded a little more than three years ago, has raised $100 million in financing so far with “headroom above that” if needed.
Cityside calls itself “Orange County’s premier choice for high-speed internet and Wi-Fi connectivity.”
Hanson says the company has several hundred customers currently and expects to be in the thousands by the end of the year.
Top Spots
This year’s list of the largest telecom and wireless companies shows Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile USA Inc., both in Irvine, kept their usual top spots, with an estimated 1,600 and 1,315 local employees respectively.
AT&T Communications in Tustin rounded out the top three with an estimated 1,150 OC employees.
Overall, Telecom and Wireless companies in OC increased their employment by 1.3% to 7,255 as of July, compared with the same period a year ago.
Another OC company showing a sharp jump in employee numbers was Boldyn Networks US, a wireless 5G infrastructure firm in Irvine. The local headcount jumped 57% to 116 as of July, putting the company in the No. 10 spot.
“It’s been a great year for us, businesswise, but also probably more importantly just organizationally bringing everybody together and then positioning ourselves to continue to grow the business long term,” CEO Christos Karmis said. “We’ve got a pretty aggressive hiring plan this year.”
The company’s projects include venues where thousands need cellphone service, as well as major infrastructure projects such as the New York City subway.
Notables
– Cox Enterprises in Foothill Ranch took the No. 5 space on the list, with 500 OC employees.
– Infinite Electronics in Irvine had the No. 8 spot with an unchanged 171 local employees.
– Site security company Blue Violet Networks in Fountain Valley registered at 26% jump in OC headcount to 44 for spot No 18.
“Blue Violet has seen a significant increase in investment by companies in technologies to provide employee safety,” General Manager David Kim told the Business Journal. “While workplace safety has traditionally been thought of in construction and warehouse environments, the current reality is that office workers, hospitals and education has seen a spike in violence and the need for technologies to help identify, prevent and notify.”
