In recent years, two stark realities have landed independent Telcos across the country in a serious bind. Not only has the amount you can charge for long distance service decreased substantially but more and more players seem to be entering the arena – giving your customers an endless list of options through which they can make their long-distance calls. With decreasing revenues and all the increased competition, how can a small telco afford to play in the long-distance game?

 

The Key to Making a (Wholesale IP) Long Distance Relationship Work

While some Telcos have simply thrown in the towel and opted to sit on the sidelines, others have realized they can make a play in the long-distance market by moving to a Wholesale IP Long Distance solution. While a wholesale partnership can certainly help to keep an independent Telco relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment, finding the right provider is imperative to your success.

That was exactly the case for Sid Sherstad, general manager of Siren Telephone Company in rural Wisconsin. Fifteen years ago, Siren was struggling to turn a profit in the long distance market and Sherstad decided he needed to try something different. “Margins in the long distance business had been consistently decreasing and the pain point was really my cost per minute. Whenever I tried to make any markup, my prices ended up being quite a bit higher than our competitors’,” he shared. Determined to find a solution, Sid began reselling voice services from a large, national wholesaler. He admits that while he did start to see some margins, ongoing call quality issues made him realize this wasn’t the long-term answer he’d been looking for.

“The standard had gone way down,” says Sid. “Just think about it. We went from AT&T telling us their service was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, to Verizon asking us ‘Can you hear me now?’”. Adding fuel to the fire, Sid struggled to get a response from his provider when he tried to contact them about his call completion and ongoing billing issues.

Frustrated, he began talking to colleagues throughout the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association and found himself more and more intrigued by a Wholesale IP Long Distance solution through Solarus, a fellow Telco in Central Wisconsin.

 

Rediscover Your Potential with Wholesale IP Long Distance

For an independent Telco looking to either get into or stay competitive in the long distance market, wholesale IP long distance can be a viable solution.

Sometimes referred to as broadband phone service or digital phone, IP long distance is a phone service that operates by using your high-speed internet connection. Instead of sending the call through the copper wires that make up a traditional telephone network, the voice stream is converted to data packets that are sent over the internet.

 

Solarus. The Clear Choice.

For Sid, wholesale IP long distance and the partnership with Solarus turned out to be the answer he’d been searching for. At first, he began by moving just a fraction of his traffic, himself and his employees, over to Solarus to test the call quality. After about a month of everything going well, he began to migrate all of Siren’s customers. Not only did the call quality exceed his expectations, he was able to go after business customers with very competitive rates. “Solarus was big enough to get my job done, but small enough to understand what’s important to us as an independent telephone company,” remarked Sid.

Today, it’s been nearly a decade since Sid made the switch to Solarus. He gladly admits he hasn’t even thought to shop around because he appreciates the fact that he’s not constantly putting out fires on his long distance. “Listen, we all have so many things on our plates. This is exactly what I needed. Calls get completed, issues get addressed and I have time to be more aggressive on our network build outs. It’s really helped me grow my business,” he said.

If your Telco is looking for a reliable, cost-effective long-distance solution to increase profit margins, win back customers or simply grow your business, leveraging the experience and expertise of Solarus’ Wholesale IP Long Distance solution can be a smart decision for you, too. We are a recognized leader in the telecommunications industry and have been partnering with independent Telcos, both large and small, since 2006.

We’ll begin with an analysis to understand your needs and objectives and then guide you to the solution that’s right for you. We offer a 30-day risk-free trial with no additional charges so you can feel confident in your decision. All we ask is that you pay for any traffic you send. Our extensive experience operating in the wholesale IP long distance sector will ensure a seamless implementation and our recently added fraud monitoring will help to protect both you and your customers from any unexpected charges.

Ready to get back in the long distance game or simply want to learn more? We invite you to give us a call at 715-421-8145.