“He who moves not forward, goes backward”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)
On September 23, 2013, Tech Valley Communications announced it was rebranding to FirstLight Fiber. And, we are proud to say, that our employee’s unanimous decision to adopt the name of our very own fiber optic network, has been well received not only by our customers, but our local communities spread throughout Upstate New York, Northern New England (ME, NH & VT) and up into Canada. Check out just some of our news clippings announcing this exciting development, here. The name transition has been communicated effectively across all channels, and has been quite a positive experience for all. However, our name change is more than just a new look and feel – it’s about highlighting our Company’s ongoing growth, particularly our geographic expansion within and beyond the Tech Valley region and our enhanced capabilities.
FirstLight continues to offer our carrier and enterprise customers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications services, including Data, Internet Access, Data Center Colocation and Voice Services.
Operating one of the largest and most dense fiber-based networks throughout Upstate New York, Northern New England and up to Canada, FirstLight has consistently grown both organically and strategically. In 2011, FirstLight acquired segTEL, which added fiber network in New Hampshire, and most recently, it acquired the assets of TelJet, which added a fiber network in Vermont and connectivity to Montreal, New York and Boston. The latest acquisition was made possible due in part to a recent debt financing led by GE Capital with Webster Bank as a co-lender. These transactions have expanded FirstLight’s geographic reach and strengthened its core capabilities by adding new customer segments, new services, and additional talent to its team.
And speaking of talent, on October 8, we announced the retirement of our very own, beloved CEO and co-founder, Kevin O’Connor, and the addition of industry veteran, Kurt Van Wagenen as our new President, CEO and FirstLight Board Member. We are excited for all that Kurt will bring to FirstLight – he is an experienced, growth oriented telecom executive with strong leadership skills and an especially relevant track record leading fiber-based companies in the New York and New England regions. Kurt’s mission is to accelerate FirstLight’s growth while emphasizing continued outstanding customer service to our carrier and enterprise customers.
And, much to our pleasure, Kevin will remain on the FirstLight Board of Directors, focusing on continued mergers and acquisitions.
So, exciting things are happening here at FirstLight. These are the changes that we need to make in order to continue our growth throughout the regions we serve and to continue to enhance the customer experience by adding the services and capabilities our clients need to thrive in this digital age.
We look forward to sharing additional news on how our Company, our network and our capabilities continue to evolve. To stay up to date on our exciting developments, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
