A reliable internet connection begins long before anyone goes online. It starts with miles of fiber, carefully planned routes, crews working around existing utilities, and decisions made in the field. As broadband, data centers, AI, hyperscale networks, wireless systems, and power infrastructure expand, the work behind connectivity is becoming more demanding. UniTek Global Services “UniTek” has built its business around making sure that work gets done safely, efficiently, and reliably.
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, UniTek is a nationwide infrastructure services company with more than 60 offices and yard locations across the United States and Canada. Its core work covers communications and outside plant construction, including fiber deployment, FTTH, aerial and underground construction, fiber drops, splicing, long-haul and backhaul networks, maintenance, and restoration. UniTek’s value comes from the breadth of support it provides. Projects can move from planning, design, and permitting into construction, testing, completion, maintenance, and restoration with one partner. Its specialized teams bring different equipment, regional experience, and field expertise, allowing resources to be matched to the size, location, and demands of each project. “Our customers trust us with some very complex projects, and our job is to make those projects easier for them, not more complicated. That takes strong field leadership, experienced people, the right resources, and a team that takes ownership from the first day of the project through completion,” says Derek Hutchins, Chief Executive Officer of UniTek’s Communications & Broadband Services Business.
That approach starts with understanding what can happen once a plan reaches the field. A route may encounter difficult terrain, drilling conditions, permitting concerns, right-of-way issues, or other construction challenges. UniTek involves field experience early, helping identify problems before they become larger delays or costs.
Accountability is built into project delivery. Each project has a dedicated project manager as the main customer contact, supported by construction leadership when needed. Also, teams keep an eye on schedule, safety, quality, staffing, equipment, documentation, and other factors that can affect progress. When circumstances change, communication remains a priority. “If something isn’t going as planned, our customers need to know about it and understand what we are doing to address it,” Hutchins explains. Customers receive the information they need while there is still time to solve a problem.
Safety and quality receive the same attention. UniTek’s “Safety Starts with U” culture makes safety a shared responsibility among leadership, supervisors, and crews. Before work begins, teams consider the design, existing utilities, terrain, permitting, and construction methods. Field employees are expected to understand conditions, identify hazards, verify utilities, and speak up when something does not look right. Quality is managed throughout the project rather than left for the final inspection. Construction, restoration, splicing, testing, documentation, and final acceptance all form part of the delivery process. The result is infrastructure built for reliable long-term performance.
One example that stands out is a project UniTek’s Hutchins Telecom team completed for a major digital infrastructure provider on a dark fiber backbone connecting the Myrtle Beach to Atlanta. The project was an important regional connectivity route supporting hyperscale data center demand and broader interconnection across the Southeast.
What made the project successful wasn’t that everything went exactly according to the original plan. During engineering, UniTek’s team identified gaps in the route design that could have created conflicts once construction began. Later, as the team got into the Atlanta portion of the project, it encountered drilling conditions that presented additional cost and schedule risk. Rather than simply moving forward with the original approach, the team evaluated the route and recommended a more practical construction solution. That helped reduce cost and risk, avoid unnecessary disruption, and keep the project moving.
Communication was just as important as the construction solution. The team kept the customer informed as issues developed and made sure they understood what was being seen in the field and how UniTek recommended addressing it. That gave the customer the information needed to manage expectations and stay ahead of potential impacts.
The results were strong. After completing the original backbone project, UniTek’s performance led to additional work, including metro and regional extensions. One of those subsequent routes was completed ahead of schedule.
“What matters is how you respond when it doesn’t go exactly according to plan. Our job is to identify problems early, communicate honestly with the customer, and use our field experience to find practical solutions,” Hutchins emphasizes. The project strengthened the customer relationship and created opportunities for further work.
That culture will matter as the infrastructure landscape changes. Fiber is increasingly tied to data centers, AI, hyperscale networks, wireless systems, and the power infrastructure needed to support them. UniTek is responding by expanding around its communications foundation while maintaining its focus on dependable execution. The company recently acquired a power contractor and established a dedicated power division (UniTek’s Power Services Business), creating opportunities to expand its capabilities across power, communications, and other infrastructure services. Its long-term goal is to become an end-to-end communications, broadband and power infrastructure contractor, supporting customers across engineering, materials and supply chain, construction, completion, and ongoing maintenance, while expanding its capabilities to address broader infrastructure needs.
Growth is not simply about entering more markets. UniTek plans to continue investing in its people, field leadership, training, equipment, project management, and operational systems. New markets will require the workforce, leadership, equipment, partners, and support needed to maintain consistent standards. “The companies that can bring the right capabilities together, scale when needed, and take accountability for the work from planning through completion are going to be in a strong position,” Hutchins says.
UniTek has spent more than three decades learning that infrastructure is never just about getting from one point to another. It is about solving problems in the field, keeping promises to customers, and having people who care enough to get the details right. As the company moves further into power, communications, and other infrastructure markets, those principles will remain at the center of its growth. The services may continue to expand, but the commitment stays familiar: show up, take ownership, and get the job done right. That is how UniTek has built its reputation and how it intends to build what comes next.
