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CCI completes regional Broadband Inventory project
Under a grant funded project, CCI completed a four county broadband asset and user inventory for the Northwest Indiana Region. "This area is prime for broadband development", states CCI president Bryan Baker. "All of the key indicators for a significant broadband initiative were surfaced during the inventory". Through a contract with local economic development leadership and business base, CCI assisted these communities in entering the broadband race, and win.
Posted 04/30/2010
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CCI delivers 40% cost savings to RV component manufacturer
Posted 03/15/2010
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CCI delivers 40% cost savings to RV component manufacturer
This month CCI completed its final network revision to save a local RV component manufacturer over 40% of their current telecom spend, or about $7000 a month.
Posted 03/15/2010
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CCI delivers 40% cost savings to RV component manufacturer
This month CCI finished up final round of cost savings implementations for a local RV component manufacturer resulting in 40% cost savings over current spend or @ $7000 a month in savings.
Posted 03/15/2010
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Analysis: Google Voice versus & everybody?
Analysis: Google Voice versus … everybody?
Mar 12, 2009 11:19 AM, By Rich Karpinski
Google today launched Google Voice, a rebranded and expanded version of its GrandCentral unified communications service. The new offering includes the basic follow-me and visual voicemail services GrandCentral always included as well as a slew of new features that threaten not only incumbent service providers but a variety of smaller players as well.
Here’s what the free service offers, and who should be watching their backs:
- Single number, follow-me ring / Internet calling
At its core, the service provides users with a single phone number that they can use to consolidate all their other numbers – home, cell and work. Calls are forwarded based on rules the user establishes. In addition, you can use the service to make free Internet-based calls to any US number, and for a small fee, to international numbers. In the most common scenario, the service dials out to one of your numbers and then the number you are calling to connect the two at no charge. Watch your back: All service providers: incumbents, VoIP players like Skype and Rebtel, etc. Google wants to sit in the middle of the call flow in a big way. It requires a major change in behavior from end users, but the potential impact is huge as well.
- Multiservice, visual voicemail
Google Voice also offers visual voicemail, which lets you see your voicemail queue and listen to messages online. The service can also consolidate voicemails from multiple services, such as home, mobile and work. Watch your back: This represents another attempt to wrest away control of the user from their main service providers; it also head-on addresses Apple/AT&T, whose visual voicemail was ahead of the curve – at least for a while.
- Better text messaging
This is one of the service’s new features: It can route text messages the same way as voice calls. Previously, Grand Central couldn’t handle text messages; Google voice cannot only accept text messages, it can route them to multiple cell phones. It also saves them to your Web-based inbox, from which you can respond to them as well. Watch your back: It’s hard to imagine anything slowing down the use of mobile phone-based SMS, and you could argue that Google Voice actually will result in more SMS usage. All the same, Google is very creatively placing itself in the middle of a transaction previously owned exclusively by mobile operators.
- Voicemail Transcription
Voicemail can be a pain, particularly if you are keeping tabs on multiple boxes or living your life out of your email inbox rather than your phone. One popular answer has been voicemail transcription services, from companies including Spinvox and CallWave. Those services can be costly; offered through carriers, SpinVox typically costs about $5.99 per month. Google Voice transcriptions are free. Watch your back: Transcription providers mentioned above, plus in some cases the service providers partnered with them. Google’s transcription service is all computer-based, so there should continue to be room for more accurate, human-based transcriptions.
- Free Conference Calling
Google Voice makes setting up a conference call very easy – just ask participants to dial into your Google Voice number and a press of a button adds them to the original call mid-stream. You can also record your call, a common feature in more expensive services. Watch your back: Conference services have been under pressure from cheaper alternatives like FreeConferenceCall.com for a while now. Google Voice would seem to work well for no-cost ad hoc conference calls but leaves plenty of room at the top of the market for more feature-rich and moderated conference call services.
Posted 03/12/2009
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Obama signs stimulus with $7.2 billion for broadband
Obama signs stimulus with $7.2 billion for broadband
USTelecom dailyLead | 02/23/2009
The economic-stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday includes $7.2 billion aimed at broadband development, of which the Commerce Department will distribute $4.7 million. The remainder is earmarked for the Department of Agriculture, which will spend the money to deliver broadband services to rural areas. Wireless Week (02/17) CNET (02/17) InformationWeek (02/17)
Posted 02/23/2009
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Verizon Adds Wholesale Wireless
Verizon Adds Wholesale Wireless, Signs Lightyear
Khali Henderson
07/17/2008
As promised in February, Verizon is rolling out wholesale wireless services to its wireline resellers. Lightyear Network Solutions LLC has signed on as the first reseller for the Verizon Wholesale Mobility Solutions suite, which includes both voice and broadband services.
The Verizon Wholesale Mobility Solutions suite is available only to VPS wireline resellers. Pricing is based on the volume of mobile directory numbers.
Verizon Partner Solutions (VPS), the ILEC’s wholesale arm, has been working for some time to create a quad-play bundle for resellers of its voice, data and video services. The possible addition of wireless to the products available to resellers is a continuation of a bundling strategy begun two years ago when the organization was formed following the merger of Verizon with MCI. In December 2005, the unit added DSL to the bundle. In summer 2006, VPS announced the addition of video to the bundle via an agreement with DirecTV.
“The demand for bundled wireline and wireless services continues to grow across every segment of the communications marketplace,” said VPS President Michael Millegan. “The introduction of Verizon Wholesale Mobility Solutions enables us to offer our traditional wholesale wireline clients with new value-added wireless services to address that demand while, at the same time, expanding their business relationships with Verizon Partner Solutions.”
J. Sherman Henderson III, founder, president and CEO of Lightyear, agrees. “Single-source service bundles mean convenience, simplicity and value to both the business and residential customers that Lightyear Network Solutions serves nationwide,” he said. “Our agreement with Verizon Partner Solutions will enable us to deliver those benefits to our customers, backed by the power of the Verizon networks and the attentive customer care of Lightyear.”
Lightyear will be offering the wireless service through its indirect sales channels.
Verizon Wholesale Mobile Voice offers wireless calling plans with a choice of designated minutes of use allowances per month. Each plan includes call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, no answer/busy transfer, caller ID and basic voice mail at no additional monthly fee. Premium features, like enhanced voice mail, monthly mobile-to-mobile minutes and directory assistance, are each available at an additional monthly charge. In addition to voice plans, wholesale clients can offer text-messaging plans with a choice of designated message allowances per month to end-users that have also purchased wireless voice service. Optional international messaging and premium messaging packages are each available at an additional monthly charge.
Verizon Wholesale Mobile Broadband is high-speed wireless Internet access for laptop computers and can be sold stand-alone or as an addition to a voice calling plan.
To enable its resellers to sell wireless, VPS is offering a Web-based ordering platform for both service and equipment; “white label” wireless handsets, accessories and wireless modem cards; over-the-air service activation; direct shipment of gear to the reseller or its end-user; end-user billing information and call detail; and technical and equipment support.
“We’ve packaged Verizon Wholesale Mobility Solutions to allow our wholesale clients to plug these outstanding wireless services into their existing marketing, sales and customer service operations,” said Millegan. “Our intent is to enable our wholesale clients to get up-and-running as quickly as possible to leverage this exciting new business opportunity with seamless support.”
Posted 07/18/2008
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Verizon Wireless to buy Alltel for $28B
Update: Verizon Wireless to buy Alltel for $28B
Matt Hamblen
June 05, 2008 (Computerworld) Verizon Wireless today officially announced an agreement to purchase Alltel Corp. for $28.1 billion, which would make the new company the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. with 80 million subscribers.
The deal will undoubtedly provoke scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice, the parties said, although they hope to complete the merger by the end of the year, according to a statement.
The agreement requires Verizon to acquire $5.9 billion in equity from Alltel, and its net debt of $22.2 billion, for a total of $28.1 billion.
Verizon's agreement is with Alltel as well as private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, although the role of the latter two companies was not detailed. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone.
"This move will create an enhanced platform of network coverage, spectrum and customer care to better serve the growing needs of both Alltel and Verizon Wireless customers for reliable basic and advanced broadband wireless services," said Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and CEO.
Alltel has 13 million customers in 34 states, while Verizon Wireless has 67.2 million nationwide. The companies noted that Alltel is serving 57 mostly rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve. Alltel would get access to 4G technology known as Long Term Evolution for fast wireless connections, the companies said.
Capital and operating expenses would be reduced for Verizon Wireless by more than $9 billion due to the integration, the companies said.
Analysts said the deal shows how mergers will become more important as cellular service becomes more competitive.
It helps Verizon Wireless grow by acquiring a new customer base, said independent analyst Jeffrey Kagan. "We have seen Verizon do similar deals in the past including the acquisition of MCI, and one thing we have learned is they don't like to overpay. Not that it matters much anymore because they are all so big, but this deal would give Verizon Wireless the No. 1 spot in the rankings," he said.
Some analysts said that if the merger concludes, moving AT&T Inc. to the second place position, that Sprint Nextel Corp., now third, would be hurt.
"This [deal] is another nail in the coffin for Sprint," said Michael Voellinger, an analyst at Telwares in Parsippany, N.J. "Alltel is a highly valuable and strategic roaming partner to the top four providers, and this acquisition would put long-term pressure on pricing and terms of those arrangements."
But Kagan disagreed and said Sprint has taken steps to become stronger in recent months and should stay in the third position.
Analysts said the deal could face regulatory hurdles, but the parties to the deal are probably betting its chances are improved by wrapping it up before a new adminstration arrives in Washington in January.
"I think it [the deal] should go through, with some concessions on spectrum possible, but one of the reasons why they were interested in doing the merger this year was the possibility of a new administration coming in," said Tole Hart, an analyst at Gartner Inc.
A new administration would appoint new members of the DOJ and the FCC, with different attitudes about mergers and spectrum regulations.
Ken Hyers, an analyst at TBR in Hampton, N.H., said Verizon Wireless will need to sell wireless licenses in markets where the Justice Department determines it has too much spectrum. Still, he predicted that the overall regulatory process will be "relatively smooth" because the two company's networks are complementary and don't overlap.
Posted 06/06/2008
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Sad state of US Broadband
Technology May 22, 2008, 12:01AM EST
The Sad State of U.S. Broadband
The U.S. has a dismal showing among nations in terms of broadband availability, with no easy solution to bridge the gap
by Catherine Holahan
Although the Internet was started here, the U.S. can't seem to catch up with other developed nations when it comes to giving citizens access to high-speed connections.
For the second year running, the U.S. ranked 15th among the 30 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development in terms of broadband availability. Denmark ranked first again in the annual OECD survey, followed by a host of European and Asian nations. Indeed, while the number of Americans with access to broadband service rose 20% last year, to nearly 70 million people, the most in the OECD, that amounted to just 23 of every 100 residents. By contrast, the top five countries in the OECD ranking all sport per-capita penetration rates of better than 30%.
Why isn't the U.S. up to speed online? The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is quick to point out differences in population and geography that have made it more difficult for the nation to catch up with smaller countries. It is easier, after all, to deliver broadband in densely populated areas where the same cables can serve hundreds, if not thousands, of subscribers, giving phone and cable TV companies the financial incentive to upgrade their networks. The U.S. has rural areas where the revenue to be made from laying down fiber-optic cables to reach scattered households hasn't proven alluring to many providers. "It's easier to achieve a high penetration in Manhattan than Mississippi," said FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate in an Apr. 30 speech at the Broadband Properties Summit in Dallas.
Little Competition
But challenges of wiring remote communities don't tell the whole story. The OECD also found that U.S. broadband providers charge more than those in many developed nations. Broken down by megabit per second of download speed, U.S. rates ranged from $2.83 to $38.41 in late 2007. Rates in Japan started as low as 13¢ for one megabit per second, while France, Sweden, Korea, Finland, Australia, and others all start off at lower prices than the U.S. Furthermore, residents of European and Asian countries tend to have access to far speedier broadband options than Americans.
Consumer advocacy groups blame what they see as a market with little competition. They say the ability of major telephone and cable operators, such as Verizon Communications (VZ), AT&T (T), Time Warner Cable (TWX), and Comcast (CMCSA), to dominate their markets without sharing their lines with rivals has kept out new competition, enabling the companies to keep prices high and investments in faster technologies low. "All of these countries that are outpacing us have much more competitive broadband markets than we do," says S. Derek Turner, research director at Free Press, a media policy group. "You don't have the head-to-head competition like you do overseas where they have embraced open-access policies."
Turner and other consumer advocates are calling for the FCC to spur competition by requiring providers in certain regions to lease their high-speed lines at regulated prices to other providers. Otherwise, Turner says, would-be rivals will never enter the market, as they can't afford to tear up streets and run their own lines into households already wired long ago by cable and phone companies. Verizon, for example, is spending $23 billion to replace its copper wires with fiber-optic lines for its new high-speed FiOS broadband and TV services (BusinessWeek.com, 1/30/07). It hopes to have 7 million FiOS customers by 2010 in return for that hefty investment.
The FCC has rejected the argument that such measures are needed, saying Verizon and others would never invest that sort of money in network upgrades or in extending broadband to new communities if they were forced to then lease those lines to competitors. The government's role, says Commissioner Tate, is to have a "light regulatory touch," easing restrictions for broadband requirements to encourage competition and cracking down on acts that stifle competition, such as exclusive service deals between broadband providers and apartment building owners.
"Critical Role"
Regulators also hope that recent auctions of new wireless spectrum licenses will introduce new broadband competition over the airwaves. The problem with that argument, as consumer groups see it, is that broadband titans AT&T and Verizon were the auction's biggest winners (BusinessWeek.com, 4/21/08). "We fully expect that AT&T and Verizon will push things complementary to their existing services like mobile TV," says Turner. "We think there was a big opportunity missed."
Even if new rivals do emerge from the recent auction or another one being mulled to sell unused "white space" airwaves between TV channels, wireless Internet access tends to be slower than a wired connection, says Turner. "It will make a difference," says Turner. "But, in the end, wireless spectrum just can't compete on a speed basis with fiber optics and hard-wired lines."
The U.S. has good reason to figure out some way to gain on the other OECD countries. A broadband connection is increasingly necessary to take advantage of the Web's interactive and rich media features, and is instrumental for e-commerce. "Broadband not only plays a critical role in the workings of the economy, it connects consumers, businesses, governments, and facilitates interaction," wrote OECD report authors Taylor Reynolds and Sacha Wunsch-Vincent. "Governments need to actively look for ways to encourage investment."
Posted 05/22/2008
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Sprint's loss widens, sees slow improvement
NEW YORK (Reuters) Sprint Nextel (S), the No. 3 U.S. wireless service provider, reported a wider quarterly loss Monday on steep customer defections, and forecast only marginal improvements in the current quarter. Sprint, whose shares fell in trading, also said it could seek waivers or amendments from its creditors, even though it expects to have enough cash on hand to operate its business and repay all its maturing debts through the end of 2009. "This is a nightmare game of whack-a-mole where new problems keep popping up faster that you can address," said Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett. "The fact they're now talking openly about their available liquidity makes it clear this is not a short-term turnaround," said Moffett referring to Sprint's expectation it would have positive free cash flow for the rest of 2008.
Sprint posted a first quarter net loss of $505 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with a loss of $211 million, or 7 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time items and merger-related expenses, it earned 4 cents a share, compared with the average analyst forecast for 2 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.
Revenue fell to $9.3 billion from $10.1 billion. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $9.4 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
Sprint warned of continued pressure on gross additions of post-paid customers, who pay monthly bills, and post-paid average revenue per user, as well as adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization in the next few quarters.
But the company expects post-paid churn, or customer turnover, and net post-paid subscriber losses to improve marginally in the current quarter.
It plans to provide an update in August of its continued assessment of its business model, associated with sales, distribution and marketing plans and its financial outlook.
Sprint ended the first quarter with 52.8 million customers, compared with 53.6 million at the end of the first quarter of 2007, reflecting a smaller base of post-paid and affiliate customers, partially offset by increases in prepaid and wholesale customers.
It had reported 53.8 million customers at the end of 2007, implying a loss of 1 million customers in the quarter.
AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone Group, both reported customer additions in the quarter and analysts have said these bigger companies took market share from Sprint.
Sprint said wireless service revenue fell 9% year over year and 6% sequentially.
The company, which last week announced a WiMax venture with Clearwire, has seen its share price fall about 65% since its $35 billion purchase of Nextel Communications in 2005. It wrote off most of the value of that deal in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Posted 05/12/2008
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Century Old Tax Put to Rest
By Paul Davidson
USA TODAY
A pesky, century-old tax on your phone bill is finally being put to rest. The Treasury Department said Thursday that it will no longer collect a 3% federal excise tax on long-distance calls and would refund about $15 billion to taxpayers.
The tax was imposed in 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War. It was designed as a tax on wealthy Americans, back when phone service was considered a luxury.
"It's not often you get to kill a tax, particularly one that goes back so far in history," Treasury Secretary John Snow said.
Treasury said it was conceding its battle to uphold the tax after five appeals courts declared it illegal because of changes in the way long-distance calls are billed.
Phone companies and cellular carriers must stop billing for the tax Aug. 1. Individuals and businesses can file for refunds next year on their 2006 tax returns for excise taxes paid on long-distance calls since March 1, 2003.
Individuals who don't have phone bill records can seek a standard refund that has yet to be determined.
Elimination of the tax will cost Treasury about $46 billion in refunds, lost revenue and administrative expenses in the next five years. That should be offset by higher tax revenue from a strong economy, Snow said.
Phone companies hailed the move. "This is a good first step in alleviating consumers' telephone tax burden, which currently accounts for more than 18% of the average bill," Verizon Vice President Tom Tauke said.
Callers will still pay a 3% excise tax on local phone calls. But that tax will no longer be levied on services that don't distinguish local calls, such as cellular, all-distance landline plans and Internet-based offerings. Consumers with those services can seek refunds on their full excise-tax payments.
Snow urged Congress to repeal the local-phone excise tax, as well.
Contact CCI about getting your refund.
Posted 04/30/2008
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CCI expands with new Operations Director
Jim Berger joins Com-Control Inc. (CCI) as the Director of Operations. He comes to CCI with over 12 years of experience in voice and data communications management.
Jim recently served as Director of Telecommunications for Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. Under his leadership, his team managed the communications systems throughout the organization by centralizing service and support resulting in significant cost savings.
As Director of Operations, Jim will be responsible for all business operations. Jim’s talents will directly impact the value that CCI delivers to its customers by enhancing the services that they offer.
CCI has successfully grown over the past 8 years by providing premium vendor neutral data and telecommunication management, consulting and auditing services. CCI has seen a large growth in its auditing services over the last 18 months and Jim’s addition will help support this increased client load. In addition, his experience allows CCI to further grow in meeting customer needs by creating new service offerings in the areas of infrastructure and phone system management.
Jim has multiple certifications on Avaya Communication systems and served on the St. Joseph Valley MetroNet technical committee.
In his spare time, Jim enjoys spending time with his family and currently represents Penn Township on the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees.
Posted 04/01/2008
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Sprint loses 300,000 customers, to cut 5,000 jobs
 RESTON, Va. -- Sprint Nextel Corp. reported Monday that its cell phone business suffered a net loss of 300,000 monthly subscribers in the fourth quarter and that it will cut 5,000 jobs. Its stock plunged more than 7 percent after the financial update. The planned cuts will reduce Sprint's work force to just below 60,000 positions. (AP)
Posted 01/09/2007
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AT&T has announced significant price increases st
Effective January 1, 2007, AT&T will modify rates for certain interstate and international business voice services.
Below is a summary of the rate revisions:
· Interstate usage rates will increase by 17%-20% for AT&T Business Network (ABN) Service
· Interstate usage rates will increase by approximately 20% for AT&T Business Network-Uniplan
( ABN-U ) Service
· International usage rates will increase by approximately 20% for AT&T Business Network ( ABN ) Service
For more specific information about how these revisions impact you and your services, please contact your AT&T Account Executive or refer to the Service Guides for the modified rates. The revised rates will be reflected in the next billing cycle after the rates take effect.
Posted 12/31/2006
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MPLS is Moving Mainstream
 33% of enterprises have fully deployed or are upgrading an MPLS VPN
22% of other enterprises plan to roll out MPLS in at least a partial deployment
16% is the amount the median monthly price plummeted in 2006 for an MPLS T-1 port
21% is the amount median monthly price jumped in 2006 for a frame relay T-1 port
Posted 12/21/2006
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