January 2002

BY APRIL WRIGHT

In 1999, Monmouth Internet, a steadily growing ISP servicing northern New Jersey, found that the market for providing pure Internet service had changed since the company�s inception. While Monmouth�s dial-up residential business had risen 10-15 percent that year, high-speed Internet access � specifically for small to medium sized businesses � had grown an astronomical 100 percent. That convinced Monmouth CEO, Ken Leland, that company strategy had to shift.

�We changed our direction to target small and medium-sized businesses because of the higher margin this sector provided. To differentiate our offerings and cost justify the moderate expense of providing T-1 service, we decided to bundle it with voice, enabling our customers to eliminate the need for multiple POTS lines and, instead, receive fully integrated, value-added services at a reduced cost. We then created a wholly-owned subsidiary, Monmouth Telephone and Telegraph, to provide these new services,� said Leland.

To add voice to its existing services, the company pursued the emerging softswitch market for a high-density, small-footprint, low-power solution. The primary challenge Monmouth faced was finding a softswitch that could meet all PBX trunk signaling methods to interface with any type of customer PBX. Leland found that CopperCom�s Local Exchange Softswitch System was up for the challenge.

�CopperCom could give us a true T1 from their switch, enabling us to connect all of our subscribers� legacy equipment including key systems, PBXs, and channel banks. They support a full complement of signaling types so I can turn up services and generate revenue more rapidly. CopperCom�s proven experience in providing telephony guidance to newly established CLECs, plus their eight years� experience supporting E911, were equally important factors,� added Leland.

Monmouth now offers fully integrated local and long distance voice service, while supporting all T-1/ISDN PRI-connections to PBXs. Additionally, the CopperCom GUI enables Monmouth to easily customize voice features and a wide array of unique voice services quickly.

In 2001, Monmouth found that their voice offering enabled them to be more competitive when pure Internet sales slowed. �Even though we experienced some slowdown in pure Internet sales, our ability to offer voice distinguished us from competitors and has quintupled commercial demand. Our decision to implement CopperCom�s softswitch was right on target,� concluded Leland.

April Wright is marketing manager for CopperCom.

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