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PRESS
RELEASE
LEBANON
UTILITIES BUYS BOONE COUNTY
ASSETS AND CUSTOMERS OF
MIDWEST BROADBAND
The City of Lebanon Municipal Utilities announced today
that it is buying the Boone County assets and customers
of Midwest Broadband. The assets include primarily the
wireless last mile and backbone network and wireless
customer premises equipment. Residential and commercial
accounts will also be purchased as part of the agreement.
"This
transaction is a perfect fit for our business plan to
extend high speed broadband services to the community"
says Mike Martin, General Manager of Lebanon Utilities.
Mayor Jim Acton commented, "The high speed broadband
business of the City's Utilities is part of a plan for
the greater Lebanon community of attracting higher paying
jobs that comes with advanced technology being available
and extending to citizens the opportunity to utilize
this technology to enhance their skill-sets and improve
their quality of life." Acton went on to say, "High-speed
broadband when integrated with the training and educational
offerings for the City, both current and planned, provide
a powerful uplift for all who have the ambition to excel."
Dave
Leuck, President of Midwest Broadband (MWBB) commented,
"For us this just formalizes a relationship we
have had with Lebanon Utilities for several years now.
It is a win-win as the Utilities gain assets that dovetail
well with its Broadband Powerline technology and we
can continue to expand our wireless support services
role in this and other communities."
The
Midwest Broadband transaction solidifies the wireless
backbone infrastructure needed for the previously announced
and tested Broadband Powerline (BPL) technology. "The
wireless backbone infrastructure would have otherwise
had to be constructed at a significantly higher cost
than this purchase. The wireless infrastructure is the
means by which the internet signal is coupled onto the
power lines" commented Randy Parsons, Manager of
Information and Telecommunications Technology for Lebanon
Utilities. "This will be the case except in areas
where fiber exists. The fiber network will be further
expanded as the business grows and is integrated with
BPL. Fiber is the ultimate conduit with the present
technology but is much more expensive than wireless.
Wireless linkage with the BPL will serve our purposes
well to launch the business."
Mr.
Martin indicated that the Utility plans to extend out
BPL infrastructure in a piecewise fashion in order to
manage cost. He commented, "Where we have a critical
mass concentration of customers, high-speed BPL will
be extended. In areas where customer concentrations
are small, high speed wireless service will be provided".
In this manner, virtually all citizens can have high
speed broadband service-BPL where available and otherwise
wireless."
The
Utilities have also entered into a service agreement
with Midwest Broadband. Midwest Broadband personnel
will provide installation services for both wireless
and BPL equipment at the premises and provide technical
support both during normal business hours and after
hours. Lebanon Utilities' line crews will install the
BPL equipment on the power lines.
Before
the Utility expands from the existing customers purchased
from MWBB and its BPL test customers, it will need to
acquire additional bandwidth. Mr. Parsons, who will
manage the Broadband Initiative for Lebanon Utilities
stated, "Two critical elements are needed before
we expand our offerings of high speed broadband service
beyond existing customers, those purchased from MWBB
and our test customers. Those elements are additional
bandwidth and the supply of the next generation of BPL
equipment. We expect that the additional bandwidth should
be available within the next month and that during the
month of December the BPL equipment should be in Lebanon.
Until those things happen, we will not be taking on
additional customers. "
Mike
Martin then concluded, "This transaction meshes
with the introduction of Lebanon Utilities' new website
and in the future online account viewing and bill payment
for its customers. Extending high speed broadband to
more customers will afford them this opportunity."
Laurie Gross, Lebanon Utilities Customer Service Manager
said, "We are quite excited that customers can
begin viewing their accounts. This will be a major step
for both our company and the customers and will transition
us to online bill payment.." Customers will soon
be able to access their accounts at www.lebanon-utilities.com
and click on customer login. Lebanon
Utilities is a municipally-owned utility offering electric,
water, sewer, and telecommunications services to the
City of Lebanon. Midwest Broadband is an Indiana Corporation
providing broadband services to surrounding communities
north of Indianapolis.
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