Mereo Fiber Builds the Future of Connected Living—Powered by Scalable Infrastructure from Lumen

In today’s connected communities, reliable internet isn’t optional—it’s essential. Mereo Fiber, a rapidly growing bulk technology provider, set out to simplify intelligent, connected living through unified service delivery for residents across the country.

Guided by a service-first philosophy, Mereo believes technology should serve people, not the other way around. “We’re a service-first organization. We believe that service is the key to differentiating in the marketplace today,” said Ryan Barbuto, Chief Commercial Officer of Mereo Fiber.

As demand surged and the business expanded, Mereo’s commitment to seamless, always-on connectivity called for more than ambition. It required infrastructure built for growth, agility and consistency at scale.

Scaling smart connectivity amid complexity

As Mereo Fiber expanded, they inherited a wide range of network environments, each with distinct infrastructure requirements and deployment timelines. This growth revealed a clear opportunity: communities needed a unified provider.

“Communities lacked a single-source provider for internet, smart home and security solutions,” said Ryan Barbuto, Chief Commercial Officer at Mereo Fiber. “That signaled a real demand in the marketplace.”

To meet that demand, Mereo needed to modernize costly legacy circuits and align security protocols, as well as address inefficiencies that came from fragmented vendor relationships.

“When multiple vendors are involved, you often get redundant systems, haphazard integrations and not enough forethought throughout deployment,” explained Barbuto.

Greenfield projects—new builds with unpredictable timelines—introduced additional complexity, with shifting schedules and site readiness requiring adaptable planning.

“One challenge we face is navigating those delays,” said Austin Pruitt, Chief Technology Officer at Mereo Fiber. “Having a flexible carrier partner is a huge asset for Mereo and our customers.”

Delivering consistent, high-speed service across all deployments became a strategic priority, especially in underserved communities where reliability and simplicity were non-negotiable.

One partner and one strategy: Lumen delivers simplicity at scale

Expanding a national footprint takes more than connectivity—it requires simplicity, reliability and speed. To accelerate growth, Mereo needed a network strategy that could adapt on demand and eliminate operational friction. Lumen delivered that foundation, pairing high-performance connectivity with centralized management and robust security to enable seamless scaling.

“Starting with a quality upstream provider provides reliable uptime,” said Barbuto.

Security was strengthened with Fortinet^® routers, enabling secure communication and centralized management across properties. The provisioning flexibility that Lumen provides helped Mereo stay on track, especially with greenfield deployments. The ability to adjust installation timelines without penalty supported Mereo’s delivery goals.

“Lumen has been an easy carrier to work with when delays occur,” said Pruitt. “That flexibility is a huge asset for us and our customers. When Lumen is available in the market we’re bidding in, we call them first,” said Pruitt.

By aligning network services under one strategy, Mereo gained the confidence to expand while maintaining consistency across every deployment.

“Having a partner like Lumen, who has a large footprint, can help get us services in complex locations,” said Barbuto. “That’s been crucial in building out a reliable solution for our community.”

With the divestiture of the consumer fiber business, Lumen is sharpening focus on enterprise solutions—an advantage for Mereo as it scales. This strategic shift means Mereo benefits from innovation tailored to large-scale deployments and a partner aligned with its growth ambitions.

Cost savings and sustainable growth drive customer satisfaction

With support from Lumen, Mereo Fiber accelerated their national expansion—extending their footprint to 37 states. With 70 active DIA circuits now support deployments across a wide range of residential communities.

Mereo’s network modernization with Lumen also delivered measurable financial impact. By consolidating accounts and executing a mass DIA renewal, Mereo unlocked significant cost savings and improved their purchasing power. These efficiencies allow them to offer competitive pricing while maintaining technical excellence.

“Those savings position us well for renewals, new accounts and delivering value to our customers,” said Pruitt.

On the product side, Mereo launched multi-gig internet and a property-wide SSID solution—providing residents with seamless, secure access across entire properties. These innovations helped elevate the customer experience and simplify connectivity for property managers.

Responsive support and rapid recovery from Lumen reinforced Mereo’s reputation for reliability and service excellence.

Simplifying connected communities with scalable networking

Mereo is entering a pivotal phase of growth, bringing their service-first model to emerging markets. With Lumen as a strategic partner, they’re focused on delivering scalable, repeatable solutions that simplify technology for residents, property managers and developers.

“What excites me is creating a consistent experience—from engineering and customer service to the developer, owner and resident,” said Pruitt.

Mereo is advancing toward intelligent, cloudified telecom experiences by piloting AI-driven bandwidth management and exploring Lumen^® Network-as-a-Service (NaaS). These innovations support dynamic performance and smart home integrations—positioning Mereo to meet the evolving connectivity demands of modern communities and hyperscale environments.

“Our primary customer is the end resident using the service,” said Barbuto. “They’re demanding simple, always-on solutions—and we deliver.”

To learn more about Mereo Fiber’s transformation, read the full customer success story.

Visit our customer story library to learn how organizations in virtually every industry are achieving their business objectives.

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