Potsdam man's company offers Internet, phone

POTSDAM — Richard L. Thomas has founded a telephone and Internet service company.

Northern New York Communications will offer broadband and phone packages in an area stretching from Syracuse to Plattsburgh, though Mr. Thomas, a Potsdam resident, is concentrating on coverage in St. Lawrence County.

"We're already signing customers up. At this point right now, I'm just getting modems out to people so they can start connecting," Mr. Thomas said. "I'm running the whole business out of my house. It's been quite a ride so far."

He said he has found a way to broker low costs for telephone services from companies throughout the United States and Canada and translate that into lower rates for customers.

"I was amazed by how competitive the prices were, and I thought I'd give it a try," Mr. Thomas said.

Northern New York Communications is able to provide high-speed Internet and digital Voice over Internet Protocol phone service just about anywhere a broadband connection is available. Users can choose to have phone, Internet or both, and there are no preset term commitments, Mr. Thomas said.

"One of the things I'm looking at right now is the fact that the government has got a great deal of money set aside for companies trying to bring broadband Internet to underserved areas. I'm trying get grant funding do just that," Mr. Thomas said. "I've gotten hundreds of phone calls from people who live out in the country, with nothing but dial-up."

Mr. Thomas also hopes to make wireless Internet service more widely available in neighborhoods or apartment complexes in the villages of Potsdam and Canton, by mounting equipment on towers or roof-tops.

"The typical way it works is, the equipment is sent to the customer with a software CD to install the modem or phone adapter themselves, and that's it. We have a three-day grace period, and if you don't pay your bill, we turn it off," he said. "There's no other taxes or additional fees. What you see with the price — that's it."

Northern New York Communications will compete in the Potsdam area primarily with Time Warner Cable, Verizon and Slic Network Solutions.

Mr. Thomas said his prices for Internet and phone service will undercut those the national companies offer, and he wants to capitalize on Slic's investments in adding broadband connections in rural areas.

Slic recently was awarded $5.3 million in federal stimulus money to expand broadband Internet service into remote areas of Franklin County. Slic and RidgeviewTel LLC, Longmont, Colo., also are expanding connectivity to northern parts of St. Lawrence County.

"The line Slic is running out toward Malone — they're running the line, but we can sell the service. There's a huge misconception in the Potsdam area. People seem to think because Slic laid the line for fiber that you have to purchase connectivity through them. They're actually connecting their fiber to the world," Mr. Thomas said. "They laid the road and we'd just be using it, that's all."

ON THE NET

Northern New York Communications: www.nnycs.com