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| Changes ahead for local telecommunications firm |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 10 November 2007 | |
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It’s only been a week and a half since Frontier Communications Solutions took over Global Valley Networks. But already service trucks are emblazoned with the Frontier logo, and signs inside their Keystone Boulevard building give information about the company’s services.  Frontier employee Louisa Arredondo during an open house for the new telecommunications company, Frontier. “They’re moving fast,” said Bruce Holdridge, Frontier’s Patterson, Livingston and Capay Valley general manager, as he led a tour of the Patterson offices Wednesday. Local residents should expect business as usual for local phone and Internet service for at least the next couple of months, Frontier officials say. After that, there will be several changes. Starting in the first three months of next year, local residents will have more telecommunications options, such as digital phone technology, combined satellite television, phone and Internet service, and wireless high-speed Internet. Digital phones allow multiple services, including local and long-distance calling, to be provided by the same company and placed on the same bill. Denise Baumbach, senior vice president and general manager of Frontier’s Elk Grove-based West Region, said her first priority is that every household gets access to high-speed Internet, satellite television — offered in partnership with DISH Network — and wireless services. That will allow for more advanced products, such as video-on-demand services. One potential future service would be use of an ESPN 360 Web site that would allow residents to watch video recordings of local sports events. Holdridge said Frontier has more capital than Global Valley Networks had, making it more likely that high-speed Internet access will be offered in rural areas where it was previously unavailable. Even some remote areas, such as Del Puerto Canyon and San Antonio Valley, will be considered for some kind of Internet access, though it is still unknown what will be offered. At this time, the area only receives phone service. “We’re constantly looking at moving into these remote areas,” said Terry Haupt, area general manager for Frontier’s Northwest Territory. Another change will be increased customer service and technical support, which will be available 24/7. “Rather than getting a pager, you can get a person,” Haupt said. Baumbach said Frontier sought to acquire Global Valley Networks because its markets are in a high-growth area, the company is community-minded and it is in a rural setting, similar to most of Frontier’s other markets. The company serves about 2.5 million access lines and 464,000 high-speed Internet subscribers in 23 states, and it has more than 6,000 employees. It focuses on offering services found in major markets to suburban and rural areas.  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator The company already serves several areas in California. Some of those include Elk Grove near Sacramento, Rio Vista along the Delta, Burney and Susanville in northeastern California, Colusa and Williams north of Sacramento, Ferndale in northwestern California, and Needles on the Arizona border. Now, it has acquired Global Valley Networks’ service areas: Patterson, Westley, Grayson, San Antonio Valley, Livingston, Cressey and Capay Valley in Yolo County. Patterson-based Evans Telephone Co., which started in 1913, served most of those areas before New Jersey-based Country Road Communications bought the company in 2001. Country Road renamed the local telecommunications firm Global Valley Networks in 2004. Citizens Communications Co., known to customers as Frontier, bought all of the outstanding common stock of Evans Telephone Holdings from Country Road Communications for $62 million, closing the deal Nov. 1. Company officials said this week they plan to keep Global Valley’s entire staff. “It’s a terrific team,” Haupt said. “There’s no sense in upsetting the apple cart here.” Holdridge, who will head up Frontier’s Patterson office, served as chief of operations for Global Valley Networks for the past year and has 28 years of experience in telecommunications. He said he hopes to increase the local phone and Internet company’s involvement in community events. “I think you’ll see a lot more community involvement,” he said. Frontier plans to keep tabs on residents’ feelings about its services through monthly town hall meetings, likely to start in December. In addition, it will meet four times a year with a community advisory council that consists of local leaders. “That’s our way to stay at the pulse of the city,” Baumbach said. And though Country Road Communications sold Patterson’s telecommunications services provider after heading it for only six years, that should not be the case with Frontier, company officials said. Holdridge said Country Road is more of a venture capital company, while Frontier specializes in telecommunications. In addition, Frontier has a regional office in Elk Grove, while Country Road’s headquarters and all of its holdings are on the East Coast. 
“(Frontier is) in it for the long run,” Holdridge said. To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Comments
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Best regards,
Louie
209.839.7322/cell