Telecommunications provider FirstLight Fiber has secured a new agreement with The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. The largest handcrafter of teddy bears in North America has selected FirstLight’s fiber-based, high-speed internet services to connect The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. corporate headquarters in Shelburne, VT.

FirstLight Fiber is a facilities-based telecommunications service provider that operates in Upstate New York and Northern New England. This past summer, the company secured a credit line expansion from GE Capital and Webster Bank. As evidenced by its recent agreement with The Vermont Teddy Bear Co., FirstLight’s plans to use its funding capital to expand its fiber network is going well.

"Our company is seasonal-based; any loss of communications during this busy time would have a huge negative financial impact," said Darren Brochu, director of business information and technology for The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. "FirstLight delivers a service that is fast and reliable. Many jobs depend on the business we do, particularly at this time of year with the holiday season upon us. Our Internet and phone services are our main point of contact for operations, and it is critical that we have optimal connectivity."

FirstLight’s dedicated 100 Mbps connection will support The Vermont Teddy Bear Co.’s business operations, providing the business with a significant upgrade over its prior internet service provider (ISP). This is because FirstLight’s Northeast internet transit is backed by both Tier 1 provider connections and a number of private peering connections. The result is reduced hop count and improved overall user experience.

With 50 percent of internet traffic traversing FirstLight’s IP network directly connected to the ultimate destination, customers experience reduced latency and improved response time. Meanwhile, in order to ensure high uptime, the telecommunications provider leverages redundant equipment, connections and power supplies.

“FirstLight is thrilled to provide this unique, award-winning organization with a solid communications infrastructure that enables them to successfully serve hundreds of thousands of customers around the world," said Kurt Van Wagenen, president and CEO for FirstLight Fiber.