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Fiber‑Powered Future: Brightspeed Accelerates Fiber Network Build in Arkansas, Now 50% Complete

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Ultra‑fast fiber internet now available to more than 100,000 locations, with door‑to‑door support helping residents and businesses get connected

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder empowering families and businesses with multi-gig-speed internet service, today announced that its fiber network build is 50 percent complete in Arkansas. Nearly 101,000 homes and businesses now have access to Brightspeed Fiber Internet with more than 202,000 locations planned statewide once the deployment of its fiber network is complete. The Brightspeed Fiber Internet network is 100 percent complete, and residents and businesses can now enjoy superfast connectivity in the following communities: Bald Knob, Carlisle, Clarendon, Corning, Cotton Plant, Des Arc, Dumas, England, Gillett, Hazen, Jacksonville, Judsonia, Kensett, Leachville, Marvell, McRae, Melbourne, Paris, Pocahontas, Rector, Russellville and Waldo.

“Bringing fiber connectivity to these communities is a major step forward for our residents and businesses,” said Arkansas State Broadband Director Glen Howie. “Reliable, high‑speed internet opens the door to economic advancement, supports education and healthcare, and helps ensure Arkansans, both urban and rural, can self-determine their success in the twenty-first century digital economy.”

Connecting with the community door to door

As construction continues statewide, Brightspeed representatives are hitting the streets in Atkins, Austin, Bald Knob, Cabot, Caraway, Carlisle, Cave Springs, Centerton, Clarendon, Dardanelle, Des Arc, De Witt, Dumas, England, Hazen, Jacksonville, Judsonia, Kensett, Lake City, Leachville, Lowell, Manila, Marvell, McCory, Mountain Home, Paris, Pea Ridge, Piggott, Pocahontas, Prescott, Rector, Russellville, Siloam Springs, Star City, Stuttgart, Trumann, Waldo and Waldron. The representatives will help residents and businesses learn about fiber service and get connected.
Residents can expect:

Who: Friendly, trained Brightspeed representatives in branded apparelWhat: Clear information on fiber availability, plans and benefitsWhy: To expand fast, reliable, affordable internet where quality options have been limited

“Reaching the halfway point in Arkansas is an important milestone, but making sure people understand how to take advantage of fiber service is just as critical,” said Tshacha Romeo, director of sales channel at Brightspeed. “Our door‑to‑door teams play a vital role by meeting residents and business owners where they are, answering questions and helping them get connected so no one is left behind as our network expands.”

Leveraging state and federal investments

Brightspeed’s Arkansas expansion is supported by nearly $26.3 million in federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding to build an additional 13,799 locations, boosting the company’s private investment in the state. Additionally, the state awarded Brightspeed more than $470,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants to reach another 528 locations with its fiber network.

Check availability and get connected

Fast, reliable internet is more than a convenience, it fuels opportunity. Brightspeed’s continued investment in Arkansas helps ensure communities stay competitive in today’s digital economy.

Residents and businesses can check availability and explore plans at www.brightspeed.com.

About Brightspeed

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Our nearly 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fiberpowered-future-brightspeed-accelerates-fiber-network-build-in-arkansas-now-50-complete-302747575.html

SOURCE Brightspeed

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Quote.com Announces New Senior Leadership Additions

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Quote.com, a leading tech-enabled, omnichannel performance marketing organization, today announced the addition of two new executive team members to support the company’s continued growth and strategic expansion. Chase Nichols joins as Chief Marketing Officer and Ben Hochstetler as Senior Vice President of Marketing.

Quote.com announced the addition of two new executive team members, Chase Nichols and Ben Hochstetler.

The appointments strengthen Quote.com’s leadership team as the company continues to invest in execution, growth, and expanding its ability to help consumers access insurance solutions more easily and efficiently. “We are excited to welcome Chase and Ben to the Quote.com leadership team,” said Nick Stommes, Chief Executive Officer at Quote.com. “Both bring deep industry expertise, experienced execution capability, and a strong focus on operational excellence that will help accelerate our growth while improving how consumers access and compare insurance options. Their leadership will play a critical role at Quote.com as we continue scaling our platform and strengthening our partnerships.”

Chase Nichols joins Quote.com as Chief Marketing Officer; Chase is responsible for all performance marketing planning, organization, and execution, and is focused on driving efficient, measurable consumer touchpoints. With nearly two decades of experience in financial services and performance marketing environments, he brings a data-first approach to scaling growth while balancing brand development and direct-response marketing.

Ben Hochstetler joins as Senior Vice President of Marketing, leading digital marketing strategy and execution across Quote.com’s omnichannel performance marketing footprint. He brings more than 15 years of experience building and scaling performance marketing execution in highly competitive and regulated markets.

About Quote.com

Quote.com is a tech-enabled omnichannel performance marketing organization that delivers high-quality, mission-critical demand at scale to industry-leading partners. The company serves customers across multiple insurance verticals, including auto, home, life, and Medicare insurance. Quote.com provides significant value to consumers by providing an independent, third-party comparison-shopping experience.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quotecom-announces-new-senior-leadership-additions-302749492.html

SOURCE Quote.com

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Young Voices Across Oceans: Telling China’s Story Fiji Special Showcases GDI Achievements

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SHENZHEN, China, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Shenzhen Media Group’s “Telling China’s Story” program presents a special Fiji season, taking the perspective of young Chinese people to the Pacific island nation of Fiji. It documents the implementation of numerous cooperative projects which are smaller in scale but well-designed, showcasing the heartwarming stories and broad prospects of China and Fiji working together to promote common development and share the fruits of cooperation, vividly illustrating the practical achievements of the GDI.

 

The program will air from April 20th to 22nd, 2026. The first episode features Chinese actor Zhao Xiaotong, food blogger Yang Beichuan, and Wu Dongwei, a doctoral student at China Agricultural University, who visit the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center in Nadi, Fiji, to explore how this “Happiness Juncao” from China has taken root and grown in the South Pacific island nation, benefiting people’s livelihoods.

This “Happiness Juncao” has yielded “win-win results” in Fiji, bringing tangible changes to local families. Internet technology engineer Ashmir not only gained a stable income by learning Juncao (a type of grass cultivation) to grow mushrooms, but also successfully paid off his car loan.

During this filming, a “Mushroom Team” of young Chinese people joined Ashmir in a Fijian market to promote mushroom dishes and introduce locals to various new ways to enjoy mushrooms. The humble mushroom became a bond of friendship across mountains and seas, conveying the warm sentiments of mutual understanding between the Chinese and Fijian people amidst the bustling market atmosphere.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/young-voices-across-oceans-telling-chinas-story-fiji-special-showcases-gdi-achievements-302750267.html

SOURCE Shenzhen Media Group

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Laminar Wins Gold 2026 Edison Award for Physical AI that Powers the Self-Driving Factory

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Top honor recognizes Laminar’s innovation and transformation in the CPG manufacturing industry

BOSTON, April 22, 2026 /CNW/ — Laminar, a physical AI solution helping the world’s leading manufacturers run more productive and sustainable factories, announced that it received a Gold 2026 Edison Award in the Manufacturing & Logistics category. The award recognizes Laminar for enabling food and beverage manufacturers to unlock new levels of productivity and sustainability through innovation – running faster production lines while cutting water, chemicals, and downtime.

“Laminar is leading the way CPG manufacturers implement physical AI on the factory floor with first-of-their-kind self-driving processes,” said Annie Lu, Laminar Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “Our patented spectral sensors and complete library of ML models enable a new, transformative approach to closed-loop automation, making the goal of the self-driving factory achievable today. We are honored the Edison Awards recognized our commitment to building a new category of technology and reshaping the future of manufacturing.”

Laminar’s physical AI transforms operations by enabling CPG manufacturers to transition from manual, timer-based operations to self-driving. Deployed across six continents for Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Danone, and Unilever, Laminar delivers measurable sustainability and profitability gains from the same investment. Laminar’s self-driving processes include:

Self-Driving Clean-in-PlaceSelf-Driving Product ChangeoverSelf-Driving Batch OptimizationSelf-Driving Quality ControlAnd more

The Edison Awards, established in 1987 and named in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, celebrates game-changing innovation across industries worldwide. Drawing a global community of innovators across 60+ countries, the Edison Awards elevate solutions that reimagine our future.

Recognition for Laminar’s Innovation

Headquartered at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA – North America’s leading cleantech incubator – Laminar is a woman-founded startup backed by top-tier investors, including Greycroft, Construct Capital, 2048 Ventures, and Flybridge Capital.

Recognized for its innovation and impact, Laminar received AB InBev’s 2024 Cheers Award for outstanding startup partnership and was named Unilever’s 2023 Supplier Startup of the Year. Laminar’s solution is also deployed in World Economic Forum Lighthouse factories recognized for their leadership in cutting-edge technology.

About Laminar

Laminar’s physical AI helps the world’s leading manufacturers run self-driving factories with more sustainable, efficient operations. Our patented spectral sensors and complete library of ML models transform manual operations into self-driving processes that cut water, chemicals, and downtime in real-time. Deployed in factories across six continents and trusted by global leaders like AB InBev, Coca-Cola, and Unilever, Laminar is building a new category of physical AI that will power the future of process manufacturing. Learn more at runlaminar.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laminar-wins-gold-2026-edison-award-for-physical-ai-that-powers-the-self-driving-factory-302749392.html

SOURCE Laminar

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