Velocity Telephone, Inc. Becomes Nation's First Metro Ring Fiber to the Home/Business Network Provider

Velocity Telephone, Inc. Becomes Nation’s First Metro Ring

Fiber to the Home/Business Network Provider

Velocity launches first-of-its-kind high-speed, high-capacity fiber network in Eagan

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn.—April 20, 2010—Velocity Telephone, Inc., a Twin Cities provider of voice and data services to homes and businesses, became the nation’s first Metro Ring Fiber to the Home/Business (FTTX) network provider when it broke ground on the Eagan Community Fiber Network on April 19, 2010. FTTX is a relatively new and fast-growing method of providing faster and more reliable Internet and communications services and bandwidth to consumers and businesses.

“Only optical fiber offers high-speed, high-quality, high-capacity bandwidth to accommodate today’s technology needs and the needs we envision for the future,” said Jim Hickle, president of Velocity. “As an innovator in telecommunications and Internet Protocol services, we are proud to be the first provider in the country to establish a community-wide Metro Ring fiber network that is sure to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses throughout the city of Eagan.”

According to Hickle, while millions of American homes and businesses currently benefit from direct optical fiber connections, the Eagan Community Fiber Network will be the first Metro Ring fiber network in the country. With a Metro Ring, individual fiber lines will connect homes and businesses to form interconnected circular networks throughout the city. Such redundant construction significantly reduces deployment costs, increases the reliability of the network, and minimizes repair costs.

“High-speed Internet is essential in today’s fast-paced, media-heavy world, which is why high-speed Internet access for all Eagan residents and businesses is among the City Council’s top priorities,” said Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire, who participated in today’s groundbreaking. “We’re very excited that Velocity chose Eagan as the first community to extend this fiber optic offering to and that Velocity is the first telecommunications provider to capitalize on making this competitive step forward in our community.”

“Having reliable, cost-effective high-speed Internet is a necessity and a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace,” said Todd Kerin, president of Machine Tool Supply, the first business in Eagan to participate in the Eagan Community Fiber Network. “I believe Velocity’s Eagan Community Fiber Network will enhance our ability to provide superior service to our diverse customer base and, as a result, improve our profitability.”

FTTX relies on optical fiber—a hair-thin strand of glass specially designed to transmit light pulses—rather than traditional copper telephone wires or coaxial cable to carry and deliver a communications signal. Fiber is unique and growing in popularity because it is the only type of cable able to carry increasingly higher bandwidth signals over long distances without signal degradation. Upon completion, Velocity’s Eagan Community Fiber Network will have the ability to connect every home and business within Eagan’s 34.5 square miles with speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps)—10 times faster than anything available on the market today.

Phase I of the Eagan Community Fiber Network, which is expected to be operational by June 2010, includes a four-square mile optical fiber ring in the northwest quadrant of the city to take advantage of Velocity’s colocation facility at the intersection of Lone Oak Road and Lexington Avenue South. The quadrant is bordered by 35E to the west, Country Road 55 to the east, and Yankee Doodle Drive to the south. Additional Phases will create additional interconnected fiber rings to ultimately serve the entire city.

Additional dignitaries and business leaders attending today’s groundbreaking were Eagan City Councilmembers Meg Tilley and Gary Hansen, Eagan City Administrator Tom Hedges, Eagan Community Development Director Jon Hohenstein, Eagan Communications Director Tom Garrison, Minnesota State Senator Jim Carlson, Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce President Ruthe Batulis, Velocity CEO Jim Lundberg, and Velocity President Jim Hickle.

About Velocity Telephone, Inc.

Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Velocity Telephone, Inc. is a Twin Cities provider of voice and data services to homes and businesses. From residential to business, wired to wireless, Voice over IP (VoIP) to traditional phone service, local service to long distance, T-1 to GIG-E Ethernet, single or multiple locations, Velocity provides high-tech solutions with local support and service. Velocity Telephone, Inc. is part of Xpandable Technology, a software development company also including USFamily.Net, one of the largest and most respected Internet service providers in the Twin Cities. For more information, visit www.velocitytelephone.com.

Contact: Patty Gibbs, 651.653.7302, patty@pattygibbscompany.com