Spirit Providing Telephone Service To The State of South Carolina
August 12, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC – August 12, 2008 – Spirit Telecom has assumed the responsibility of providing telephone service to the State of South Carolina under a $98 million, seven-year contract awarded by the state.
Spirit will provide advanced telephone service to state government agencies using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology and manage the state’s existing phone system for approximately 70,000 voice lines.
Under the contract, Spirit will implement VoIP telephony services to replace the traditional phone service to state agencies, K-12 schools and political subdivisions throughout South Carolina. Spirit will monitor the statewide service through its Network Operations Center in Columbia.
Spirit has been providing private line data services to the State since 1995. In 1998, Spirit Telecom began offering long-distance service, Internet Services and broadband data services to the State. For the past two years, the South Carolina based company has provided data networking using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology.
Spirit will convert existing voice lines across South Carolina to the new technology and provide state agencies with features and services to help it control costs and improve communications. Spirit will provide calling features and voice mail servicers using Internet Protocol (IP) technology and IP telephones, while continuing to support the existing system. Included in the contract are provisions for conferencing and support through a central contact center located at Spirit.
Spirit Telecom has served the State of South Carolina with communications services for more than 12 years. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to expand our relationship with the state. We look forward to providing reliable and secure IP enabled voice services to state agencies and institutions across the Palmetto State, said Vernon Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Telecom.
About Spirit Telecom
Spirit Telecom is a privately owned South Carolina company with corporate headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina. The company is owned by thirteen (13) independent and cooperative telecommunications companies all with headquarters in South Carolina. Since 1993, it has been providing local voice, long-distance, Internet and data transmission to business and government agencies in the Southeast and has been operating its own secure and private network since 1994.
Spirit Telecom also provides its services on a wholesale basis to customers in twenty-two states across the country.
