Telecommunications. It may sound like a newly coined word to describe the vast technological advances seen in our lifetime. But, in fact, it simply means communication over a distance. That definition might as easily be used to describe smoke signals used by the Native Americans or semaphore used to communicate from ship to ship. However, today, the word is generally used to describe not these arcane methods but rather the electronic transmission of human thought through such means as television, radio, telephone and computer.

No matter what facet of telecommunications we consider, there are three elements:  

     A transmitter that takes information and converts it to a signal

     A medium over which the signal is transmitted

     A receiver that receives the signal and converts it back into usable information

As a member of the Telephone and Data Systems (TDS) family of companies, TDS Metrocom provides local, long-distance and Internet services to customers throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota. TDS was founded in 1969 and has been a publicly traded company since 1981. Locally, Sarina Gleason, market manager, works with 25 other employees to bring reliable and cost-effective communications systems to both business and residential customers in the mid-Michigan region.

Local customers include the Board of Water & Light, several school districts and BEANER’S® Coffee among many others, all the way from large businesses and organizations to residential users.

Business services available include:

• Long-distance phone service including toll-free calling options and international rates
• Internet hardware
• Voice mail
• Local phone service
• Internet service
• Data/transport systems designed to keep multiple business locations connected and running smoothly
• Web and audio conferencing services

For the residential customer, TDS Metrocom offers:

• Local and/or long distance phone service with a variety of calling features
• Internet service
• Digital satellite TV
• Internet hardware
• Voice mail

For Gleason, the excellent products and services offered by TDS Metrocom are only part of the story. She explained, “I joined the company because I was impressed by the strength of their community involvement and emphasis on good corporate citizenship. The company supports organizations like Junior Achievement and is an active member in the [Lansing Regional] Chamber of Commerce. Individual employees are encouraged to be part of that outreach. I am on the board of the Ronald McDonald House and also serve on the development committee of Ele’s Place.

“TDS Metrocom sponsors Operation Freedom, which has expanded from Minnesota into Illinois, Wisconsin and now Michigan. We have made video conferencing equipment available to family members of military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Lansing, we are partnering with Contemporary Audio and the chamber of commerce to make this available to local families.”

Gleason anticipates that TDS Metrocom will continue to grow and expand not only in its reach but also in the range of goods and services offered.

She said, “From a customer standpoint, TDS Metrocom is an excellent choice to meet telecommunications needs. We’ve been in the business a long time and our experience and reputation in the marketplace speak well for us. We provide the best products and outstanding service. And the customer who calls for service will be talking to someone locally rather than being forwarded to a distant call center. In addition to all that, we truly have the good of the community as an important part of our mission.”

John Dwyer, Regional Sales Manager for TDS, says, “Today, telecommunication companies are striving to be a one-solution provider, offering what’s called the ‘triple play’…local phone service, high-speed Internet and television services. TDS not only offers these services but, more importantly, believes in another ‘triple play’, and that’s our commitment to our employees, customers and community.”

One of Lansing’s many family-owned and family-operated telecommunications businesses is Metronet Telecom, located in Holt. Now headed by David Choma, the company was originally started in 1965 by his father, Joseph Choma. At that time, it was known as Executone Lansing (the name changed in the early 1990s) and sold and installed intercoms and paging systems. When the long-distance industry was deregulated in 1981, they were one of the first to provide this service directly and continue to bring the latest in telecommunications services to their customers.

David Choma said, “It used to be that customers only rented their telephones and equipment from AT& T. Users were charged a rental fee every month. In the ’80s, a whole new dynamic came into play. Competition heated up, and, at the same time, emerging technology offered new options and opportunities.”

Metronet Telecom offers a full range of telecommunications products and services to their customers, primarily businesses and organizations with often complex requirements and demands. Metronet analyzes and assesses the organization and makes recommendations based on their specific needs.

Metronet specializes in:

• Metronet long-distance service
• Panasonic telephone and voice mail systems
• AltiGen VOIP telephone systems
• Local phone service and DSL Internet as an authorized dealer for TDS Metrocom
• Cellular/wireless telephones and calling plans from Verizon, Sprint and Nextel
• Call accounting software
• Voice, data and fiber cabling
• Music on hold
• Conference calling service
• Telephone/computer integration
• Telecommunications consulting

With customers like Paramount Coffee, EPICnMRA, Mid-Michigan Credit Union and H.C. Berger Company (where the first privately owned telephone system in central Michigan was installed in the early ’90s), among many others, Metronet Telecom is a well-established source for telecommunications services. By coordinating telecom services, designing individual communication packages, making businesses aware of the latest technology and providing the best products partnered with high-quality customer service, Metrocom allows businesses to concentrate on their own missions.

Although Metrocom’s primary clients are businesses, they do occasionally work with employees of their business clients to provide residential service.

Choma predicts that their product line will only continue to grow. As he stated, “There’s always a new flavor out there!” By keeping up to date with the industry, Choma is able to bring innovations to his customers as soon as they become available.

Choma foresees an increase in the use of VOIP, which is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP (Internet protocol)-based network. “This technology isn’t for everyone,” said Choma, “but it can be a great addition to the telecom package.” He also predicts changes in local telephone services with changes in rates (both up and down) depending on the service. Unfortunately, he’s also seen an increase in charges being made on telephone bills for services that weren’t ordered or wanted. Metronet Telecom offers a service wherein they will analyze bills for both local and long-distance service and make recommendations for the best service possible.

All of us have come to depend on the ease of use and the global accessability afforded to us for our communication needs. Companies like TDS Metrocom and Metronet Telecom help us maintain that connectivity with the latest and greatest in products and services.