X

Nicholville Telephone’s Slic Network Solutions showed growth, innovation in 2013

Posted 2/11/14

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the “Progress 2014” section of North Country This Week. Slic Network Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nicholville Telephone, experienced …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Nicholville Telephone’s Slic Network Solutions showed growth, innovation in 2013

Posted

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the “Progress 2014” section of North Country This Week.

Slic Network Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nicholville Telephone, experienced another great year of growth and innovation in 2013.

They employ 44 fulltime local residents living in and around the communities they serve.

This past year, Slic contributed over $3.6 million to the local economy in the form of employee payroll, benefits, and local vendor support.

In June, Slic launched its cable television service and reached nearly 800 TV subscribers by the end of the year and continues to grow at a very fast pace. The TV offering is an IPTV solution providing the latest in television trends such as integrated web content, overthetop video (OTT) solutions like video on demand (VOD), highdefinition programming, and "whole home” DVR service.

Slic’s TV service, called myEVTV, offers nearly 200 channels of quality programming with an additional 78 channels available in HD. The channel lineups also include local affiliates out of Watertown and Plattsburgh so viewers can watch their favorite news and PBS programs.

When combined with Slic’s broadband Internet and its crystalclear phone service, Slic is able to offer “TriplePlay” bundles providing great value to rural customers.

On the commercial side, Slic debuted Hosted PBX service that combines phone service with the features and functionality of a business class phone system. With no hardware to purchase, business customers receive brand new phone handsets as part of their low monthly phone service pricing.

Hosted PBX provides business class features such as dial by extension, auto attendant, music on hold, time of day routing, voicemail, and findme/followme, all of which reside on Slic’s enterprise phone switch so there is no central equipment to install or maintain.

One major advantage of Hosted PBX is “extension mobility” allowing customers to take their phones anywhere a broadband connection is available. This allows for seamless integration of users across multiple branch locations, home offices, and even mobile workers.

This past year marked the completion of over 1,000 miles of fiber optic cable in Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties funded largely in part by grants and loans from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) totaling over $33 Million. This expansion allowed 1,000 previously unserved North Country residents to access the area’s fastest highspeed internet service, bringing Slic’s total customer count to over 3,600.

Slic’s expansion will continue through the new year. Slic received approval for a $6.1 million dollar grant through the NYS Connect program for five separate projects to bring another 165 miles of fiber to the north country. These projects will pass 2,500 houses and over 100 businesses in Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Hamilton Counties. The new service areas include Lyon Mountain in the town of Dannemora, North Hudson in the town of North Hudson, Schroon Lake in the town of Schroon, Long Lake in the town of Long Lake and Brainardsville in the town of Bellmont.

The company blog at www.slic.com/blog is updated regularly with information as new areas and services become available. There is a Subscribe feature that will alert readers via email as new information is posted.

For more details about any of Slic’s services, or to request a no obligation comparison of your current providers’ charges and a personalized proposal of Slic’s services, contact them at 877SLICCOM (8777542266) or via email to sales@slic.com.