First Posted: 1/30/2015
LIMA — The demise of one telephone company in the area is translating into opportunities for two others.
Communication Options Inc., based in New Albany, filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and will soon be shutting down completely, according to a letter to customers dated Jan. 15 and posted on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio website.
“You are hereby notified that on February 13, 2015, COI will cease providing local telephone service in your area,” the letter reads. “To ensure that you continue to have local telephone service and keep your existing phone number after February 13, 2015, you must select an alternative local telephone service provider for your telephone service immediately.”
Two service providers, CenturyLink and TSC-Hanson Communications Inc. of Wapakoneta, have seen a large influx of former COI customers over the past several days as a result.
“We’ve seen customers bringing in notifications of the closing of COI,” CenturyLink area plant supervisor Richard Patterson said. “Typically, the way COI works is that most of the time, they have our cable, and then COI covers what we call the last mile. So with customers coming to CenturyLink, we are covering them all the way from the central office to the customer’s house.”
Using phone lines already in place, the transition from COI to CenturyLink is relatively easy, according to Patterson, with customers looking at no more than a day without service.
“We handle most of the hard wire lines anyway, so we’re pretty accommodating,” he said. “We’re very open to getting them back and getting them transferred over very quickly.”
TSC operates slightly differently, using their own cables rather than existing lines. COO Lonnie Pederson has seen his company make great inroads into Lima, especially in the business sector.
“We’ve been able to gain 75 new business customers,” he said. “Along with UNOH, the Enterprise Building and several school districts, including Shawnee, Bath, Perry and Apollo Career Center, we’ve now developed relationships with PotashCorp, INEOS and Citizens National Bank. It’s been very steady.”
