Nebraska phone cooperative and cable TV provider Glenwood Telephone Membership Corp. (GTMC) is transitioning its network infrastructure from a legacy Class 5 switch to a next-generation switch that supports both circuit-switched and IP telephony.
The cooperative has deployed the CopperCom Converged Switching eXchange (CSX) softswitch to take over switching functions in its network.
GTMC does not intend to offer VoIP directly to customers at this time because of the issue of lost access fees, "so we are not gong to rush into VoIP for the end user," said Ryan Grammon, central office supervisor. "We are just trying to give our customers latest technologies."
Grammon said Glenwood chose CopperCom because it is “dealing with a lot of companies our size.”
He added CopperCom also is able to “support all the functions of our existing Class 5, which is why other companies doing it also. And they are competitively priced."
Although VoIP to end users is on hold for now, GTMC plans to roll out VoIP at some point, Grammon said. In the meantime, the CopperCom switch lets GTMC offer the same services as those facilitated by a Class 5 switch, as well as introduce new ones, he noted.
GTMC, headquartered in Blue Hill, Neb., is a member-owned cooperative serving 2,500 plus subscribers. GTMC provides telephone services to nine communities in south central Nebraska and also provides CATV service to 10 towns in the same region.
CopperCom www.coppercom.com
Glenwood Telephone Membership Corp. www.gtmc.net
