LEWISTON — The Oxford Networks and BayRing Communications merger received state and federal approval Tuesday.

The companies announced plans to merge in June.

“We are excited to have this merger approved to begin a new era for both organizations,” Oxford Networks President and CEO Craig Gunderson said in a prepared statement. “This merger creates a more competitive organization providing customers with greater choices and more solutions. Our customers benefit from two strong organizations that enjoy a solid reputation in their respective markets.”

It will create the largest competitive telecommunications provider in Northern New England, with about 2,000 miles of high-capacity fiber-optic network connected to 50,000 commercial buildings, four dedicated data centers and access to all other major hub data centers throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Oxford Networks is based in Lewiston and operates a fiber-optic network backbone from Bangor to Boston. In addition to the Lewiston headquarters and a Portland office, the company operates high-security data centers in Brunswick and Bangor.

The company is owned by Novacap, a Canadian private equity firm that purchased Oxford Networks last year.

Portsmouth, N.H.-based BayRing Communications owns a proprietary high-capacity fiber network that extends from Portland to Boston and operates two data centers in Portsmouth. The company became one of the first local telephone carriers in New Hampshire and Southern Maine 17 years ago.

The Federal Communications Commission approved the merger Aug. 26. The Bangor Daily News reported that Maine regulators approved it Aug. 20.

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