When we announced
our fiber service last
year, our products
included the “triple
play” of internet,
voice and video. The
decision to offer all
three was based on
your feedback that
you were interested in all three services
from Tipmont. More recent feedback
from you combined with nationwide
trends have given us reason to switch our
focus from traditional video to a variety of
video options that can maximize your new
high-speed internet connection.
From the beginning, we knew that
our partnership with Mulberry
Telecommunications was crucial to offer
voice and video products alongside our
broadband offering. Mulberry has over 12
years of experience offering video and is
our preferred traditional video provider.
The benefit is two-fold: cost savings
from Mulberry’s existing hardware
and retransmission agreements and a
shared set of values since Mulberry is
a cooperative like Tipmont. As we work
through the development phases of our
deployment, we want to ensure you have
access to video and voice services the way
you want it.
Beginning with our beta users in our first
build area, video and voice service will be
available through Mulberry, rather than
directly from Tipmont. This change helps
streamline the voice and video service
delivery by aligning your customer
experience with who is actually delivering
the service.
Consumers who want Mulberry video
or voice service will be able to order the
service through Tipmont and have it
installed at the same time as the initial
internet service install, but those services
will be billed and managed through
Mulberry rather than Tipmont. Mulberry
video and voice service will be delivered
over the same fiber line that provides
your internet connection.
While some still prefer traditional TV
service, a new video model called Over
the Top, or OTT, is rapidly gaining
popularity with consumers. Since all
the video content is delivered over the
internet to smart TVs, smart phones
and computers, OTT providers have
the advantage of not having to provide
end-user equipment. As a result, most
OTT services are about $40 compared
with about $90 for the average cable TV
package. Additionally, many now offer
local networks alongside the traditional
channel lineup of cable networks. Most
have free trials available via their website
without any fee or commitment to decide
whether or not you like the service. We
are also working with Mulberry to develop
custom OTT options for local content.
This decision falls in line with our
mission to empower you with essential
services. It is now widely accepted that
broadband internet is no longer a luxury,
but a tool you need to be successful. Voice
and video products are widely available
from multiple providers that can provide
service over your broadband connection.
But it’s that reliable and fast broadband
connection that is essential (and missing)
for so many of you today.
Tipmont is going to focus on making sure
that the true essential service, broadband
internet, is the best it can possibly be for
you. You deserve no less.
