Finger Lakes Regional
Telecommunications Development Corp.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Megan Connor Murphy
Dixon Schwabl
585-899-3258 office
585-339-8379 cell
tw telecom Media Contact
Bob Meldrum
303 566-1354
tw telecom Forms Alliance with Fiber Ring
Colorado-based company is first national broadband provider to sign
on to the project
Canandaigua, N.Y., November 189, 2009 — The Finger Lakes Regional Telecommunications Development Corp. (FLRTDC) is pleased to announce that tw telecom (Nasdaq: TWTC) — a $1 billion national broadband telecom provider based in Littleton, Colo., — has signed a master agreement with the public-benefit corporation.
The agreement makes tw telecom the first national business broadband telecommunications provider to participate in the advantages of the fiber optic ring in Ontario County. Finger Lakes Technologies Group was the first local competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) to sign with the Corporation.
The public-private partnership formed between FLRTDC and tw telecom comes less than two months after a similar partnership was announced between FLRTDC and Verizon Wireless.
“Our third carrier, WOW — it’s becoming very clear that our initial predictions of bringing competition, as well as less costly telecommunications solutions to this area, are quickly becoming reality and I’m very excited at the prospects for the next 6 to 12 months,” said Ed Hemminger, Chief Executive Officer of FLRTDC. “The alliance with tw telecom is another significant endorsement of the fiber ring by a nationally recognized, publicly traded telecom provider.”
Jim Groark, vice president and general manager for tw telecom in the Rochester area, said the agreement with FLRTDC will enable tw telecom to expand its services further into Ontario County. The company currently provides managed voice, Internet and data networking solutions, to approximately 29,000 businesses and organizations in 75 cities across 30 states and Washington, D.C. It maintains more than 27,000 route miles of fiber nationwide. The company has operated in the Rochester Region since 1993.
According to Groark, businesses, organizations and institutions in healthcare, financial services, and higher education are among tw telecom’s many customers. The company’s customers also include manufacturers, architectural and engineering firms, distribution facilities, and data centers. All customers have access to local support and service teams, who provide sales, operational and technical support.
“We specialize in designing and providing networking solutions to businesses,” Groark said. “We can manage their networks for them and we can provide local, regional, national and even global connectivity for them so they can concentrate on their core competencies.”
In addition to tw telecom, Finger Lakes Technologies Group and Verizon Wireless, FLRTDC also has master agreements with WavHost and Clarity Connect, which plan to lease fiber to provide wireless broadband services to customers in Ontario County.
Discussions with other service providers are ongoing.
About Finger Lakes Regional Telecommunications Development Corp.
Imagine where fiber technology can take us. The Finger Lakes Regional Telecommunications Development Corp. has. With an open-access, dark fiber infrastructure and a non-profit approach — serving as an example for a national model — the fiber ring has Ontario County on the fast track to greater economic development, better quality of life, and global competitiveness. By providing this critical source for advanced connectivity and increased flexibility through quicker, more affordable broadband, businesses and organizations, as well as residents, will have improved capabilities like never before. To date, 60 miles of the fiber ring are complete; construction is beginning on the remaining 120 miles in the Bloomfield, Ontario County, area. Completion of the entire 180 miles is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2010.
FLRTDC has this region future-ready and primed for 21st Century growth. Powered by the speed of light, with no limitations.
Note for telecom carriers and other service providers:
By tapping into the fiber ring’s advanced fiber technology, service providers can provide faster service with greater capabilities and more cost savings for customers, all while expanding your company’s footprint and subscriber base. Get up to speed and on board with fiber technology for your company’s future growth. For more information, please call FLRTDC Chief Executive Officer Ed Hemminger at 585-396-4502.
About tw telecom:
tw telecom holdings inc., a unit of tw telecom inc., headquartered in Littleton, Colo., provides managed network services, specializing in Ethernet and transport data networking, Internet access, local and long distance voice, VoIP, VPN and security, to enterprise organizations and communications services companies throughout the U.S., and globally. As a leading provider of integrated and converged network solutions, tw telecom delivers customers overall economic value, quality, service, and improved business productivity. Please visit www.twtelecom.com for more information.
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