TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 17, 2025 / Long-term investors talk about proof like it's a milestone. In reality, proof is pressure. It's the moment when a company's story collides with execution, when plans meet reality, and when the market stops asking if something works and starts watching to see how it holds up. Akanda Corp. (NASDAQ: AKAN) is living that moment right now.

The company's shares surged more than 100% in early October trading after confirming that its subsidiary, First Towers & Fiber (FTF), had been named a preferred contractor for Mexico's Altán Redes Red Compartida project, a national telecom infrastructure buildout valued at more than $7 billion. For a company with fewer than 730,000 shares outstanding, that kind of catalyst doesn't have a ripple effect. It detonates. The market loves share scarcity, and Akanda's low float structure turned that news into momentum.

But torque cuts both ways. Operating proof of value brings pressure. The same share scarcity that sent the stock soaring can just as easily magnify scrutiny, volatility, and every operational challenge that follows. That's the trade-off, but Akanda knows this, and it's proving pressure can be productive if the foundation is strong enough.

First Towers & Fiber Is a Growth Engine
It's proving precisely that, letting stakeholders know that FTF is not a speculative asset. It's a working infrastructure platform that builds telecom towers and deploys dark fiber across Mexico. The numbers are simple but telling: 30 towers up, 700 kilometers of fiber already installed, and long-term lease agreements in place. Each tower that rises isn't a promise; it's a receipt. Those builds are directly tied to the Altán Redes program, a nationwide initiative to deliver wholesale LTE and 4G services to over 90% of Mexico's population, with 5G infrastructure on the horizon.

Akanda's role just increased. After-hours on Thursday, AKAN announced plans to construct or acquire up to twenty new towers by the end of 2025. The expansion is designed to strengthen coverage, boost capacity, and translate momentum into measurable, recurring revenue.

It's an aggressive follow-through on the proof already in hand. FTF's current base of 30 operational towers and a 700-kilometer dark-fiber backbone has validated its model. Now the company is scaling. Each additional tower is expected to add incremental cash flow, enhance network efficiency, and solidify FTF's position in Mexico's largest telecommunications initiatives.

"Expanding our tower network is a clear step in executing our growth strategy," said Chris Cooper, President of FTF. "Each tower has the potential to not only strengthen connectivity across Mexico but also increase our recurring revenue and reinforce our role as a preferred partner for Altán and CFE."

A Deepening Presence in a $7 Billion Project
Don't underestimate the stakes in play. Altán Redes is the real deal, with over 11,000 towers already standing and more than 80,000 localities connected, providing access to its shared network for more than 24 million people. This isn't a pilot or a proposal; it's a national system expanding at scale, month by month, with billions already invested and billions more allocated. Inside that network, FTF's role shifts Akanda from concept to contribution, no longer pitching what it can do, but executing on what it's been contracted to deliver.

Investors like what they're seeing and reading. Following Thursday's announcement, AKAN shares climbed more than 49% after hours to close at $3.33, a nearly two-week high that signals growing investor confidence in the company's direction. Investors now view Akanda's expansion not as speculation, but as proof that the story it has been building is finally breaking through.

Markets Find Value, Akanda Is Showing It
For stakeholders, Akanda has become a real-time case study in endurance. Not in marketing or storytelling, but in structure, execution, and follow-through. The low float that amplifies volatility also amplifies accountability. Every tower counts. Every decision matters. And every proof point adds weight to a story that's now too visible to ignore.

Markets don't remember who talks the loudest; they remember who keeps building when it gets loud. Akanda is proving the latter in real time, tower by tower, route by route, under the full weight of scrutiny and expectation. That's where proof of company value really lives. And it may be the reason stakeholders are holding strong to their story.

About Akanda Corp.
Akanda Corp. is an international cannabis company with operations in Europe and North America. The company is dedicated to cultivating and distributing high-quality medical cannabis and wellness products that improve lives. Akanda's mission is to provide safe, reliable, and accessible cannabis products to consumers worldwide while promoting sustainable business practices.

About First Towers & Fiber Corp.
First Towers is focused on tower development and operating its 700+ km fiber optic network in the attractive wireless market of Mexico, with the intention of expanding to other Latin American countries. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akanda Corp. (NASDAQ: AKAN).

Forward-Looking Statements
This article was prepared by Hawk Point Media Group, LLC ("HPM"), a third-party media and communications firm, for informational and educational purposes only. The content herein may include information, views, and opinions regarding the future expectations, business plans, and prospects of Akanda Corp. (NASDAQ: AKAN) that constitute or may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements are based on current assumptions, beliefs, and expectations of management and are not guarantees of future performance.

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SOURCE: Akanda Corp