KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rural fiber-optic network design and construction management leader Conexon is now delivering high-quality voice solutions through subsidiary Conexon Connect for electric cooperative clients deploying fiber to the home.
Providers pursuing federal auction funding to deploy broadband networks must also provide affordable voice services to qualify for those funds. Conexon Connect provides a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) residential and business product suite that enables electric cooperatives to meet that requirement and complements their superior high-speed internet solutions with equally high-quality voice services over the fiber networks. The voice product suite provides strong revenue potential for co-ops.
“The intricacies of providing a voice product, specifically the complex regulatory, compliance and taxation requirements, can be challenging, particularly for organizations new to this environment,” said Terie Hannay, Conexon Vice President of Telecommunications Services. “At the same time, it can be a critical component of their offerings in rural areas. Our goal is to minimize the complexity and help cooperatives successfully launch and operate a profitable, reliable voice business."
Conexon Connect’s end-to-end solution set encompasses all the technical and operational aspects of launching and offering voice services – secure, reliable hosting, ongoing management of regulatory compliance and taxation, pricing, billing integration, and marketing, sales, training and launch support. It enables cooperatives to avoid the significant up-front costs and yearly minimum investment often required to provide voice service. Conexon Connect’s proprietary model and business analysis lower risk for co-ops by identifying areas where offering voice service is advantageous for their operations, and where it is not. Conexon Connect-hosted calls are completed over the public switched telephone network, which results in a higher quality call than traditional VoIP calls.
“Part of the expertise Conexon brings to our (FTTH) project is in providing voice services, a requirement for securing federal funds,” Chad Lowder CEO of South Carolina’s Tri-County Electric Cooperative said. “Experience and expertise in voice were very important to us because the phone side of this business is a whole different world. We have every confidence that Conexon, as our phone provider of record, will ensure a quality service for members, and effectively manage the taxation and regulatory complexities of offering voice.”
“The regulatory burden (of offering voice) should not be underestimated by co-ops, and it takes quite a bit of time and effort to comply with all of the filing requirements,” Tim Johnson, CEO of New York’s Otsego Electric Cooperative said. “We’re just glad we found Terie and Conexon to support us in that business.”
About Conexon
Conexon works with Rural Electric Cooperatives to bring fiber to the home in rural communities. The company is comprised of professionals who have worked in electric cooperatives and the telecommunications industry, and offer decades of individual experience in business planning, building networks, marketing and selling telecommunications. Conexon offers its electric cooperative clients end-to-end broadband deployment and operations support, from a project’s conception all the way through to its long-term sustainability. It works with clients to analyze economic feasibility, secure financing, design the network, manage construction, provide operational support, optimize business performance and determine optimal partnerships. To date, Conexon has assisted nearly 200 electric cooperatives, 50 of which are deploying fiber networks, with nearly 150,000 connected fiber-to-the-home subscribers across the U.S. The company has secured more than a quarter of a billion dollars in federal and state grants for its clients.