10 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 20 - 22, 2024 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 1 DAY 1 Capcon Networks and DE-CIX Partner to Enhance Rural Connectivity Great Plains Communications Completes Fiber Upgrade in Kearney, Neb. 123NET, a premier fiber internet, colocation and voice services provider, promoted three existing 123NET leaders, including Chuck Irvin, James Kandler and Justin Lampman, to an expanded C-suite team. “As we approach our 30th anniversary and are backed by a recent capital infusion from Grain Management, 123NET is setting the stage for our next chapter of growth and customer service excellence,” said Dan Irvin, 123NET founder and CEO. “Chuck, James and Justin have each played an instrumental role in shaping 123NET’s journey, and their expertise will help us expand our fiber network to better serve Michigan businesses and residents.” Chuck Irvin will serve as 123NET’s new chief revenue officer. Irvin has dedicated over a decade to 123NET, where he spearheaded the launch and development of the company’s fiber internet service from the ground up. As CRO, Irvin will focus on driving growth by expanding the reach of 123NET’s services and enhancing sales and marketing efforts to better meet the needs of Michigan businesses. James Kandler is the company’s new chief information officer. Kandler brings more than 20 years of industry expertise to the table, including 15 years at 123NET as COO, where he was a key contributor to the company’s original network infrastructure. As CIO, Kandler will oversee and develop solutions that ensure the efficient management and growth of 123NET’s systems, driving the company’s system management strategy forward. Justin Lampman was named chief operating officer. Lampman’s tenure has included almost a dozen years at 123NET, first leading the fixed wireless service division and later launching the company’s residential fiber service. As COO, Justin will oversee dayto-day operations, focusing on delivering operational excellence and ensuring that every Michigan community served by 123NET benefits from top-tier fiber internet. Ryan Duda continues as chief technology officer, a role he’s held for over 15 years. Meanwhile, Stefania Stoenica remains chief financial officer, overseeing the company’s financial strategies. Since launching in 1995, 123NET has invested in Michigan’s infrastructure, partnering with communities and carriers to enhance fiber networks throughout the state, building an expansive 3,100 route mile network including long haul and dense metro fiber network in Michigan’s largest cities. 123NET’s network is further enhanced by Michigan’s largest carrier hotel, which houses the Detroit Internet Exchange (DET-iX), the seventh largest exchange point by throughput in North America. Its data center portfolio includes four high-density data centers in metro Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich. p For more information on 123NET and its services, visit www.123.net or stop by Deal Center Table 16. Capcon Networks, an industry leader in carrier agnostic connectivity, is now working closely with DE-CIX, the world’s leading internet exchange (IX) operator and home to the largest carrier and data center neutral interconnection ecosystem. Earlier this year, the two companies announced a strategic U.S. partnership to enhance rural connectivity. The symbiotic relationship between DE-CIX and Capcon Networks is perfect for the creation of a targeted transport-to-peering product, which is called Connect-IX. This product allows rural networks to scale while improving their customer experience by enabling rural network operators to exchange traffic directly with each other, content providers, CDNs and hundreds of networks over a single transport connection. This partnership enables Capcon customers to gain turnkey access to DE-CIX U.S. exchanges, which are currently offered in rural regions near Chicago, Dallas, New York and Phoenix. As Capcon Networks CEO Offir Schwartz explained, Capcon has extensive experience optimizing bandwidth and bringing capacity and connectivity to rural network operators. Connect-IX is the next iteration of how the company is innovating to help improve rural communities. “Connect-IX is a real-life solution that proves that even remote/rural networks can have carrier class reliability and functionality, and Capcon Networks couldn’t be more excited about our part in bringing this solution to market,” Schwartz said. Stop by and meet Capcon Networks at Deal Center Table 11. Great Plains Communications (GPC), a leading Midwestern telecommunications provider delivering fiber-driven services over its 18,000-mile fiber network, recently completed a significant technology upgrade in Kearney, Neb. The latest enhancements aim to future proof their infrastructure to support rising residential bandwidth needs. The enhancements will also help local businesses streamline processes and extend the reach of e-commerce. In 2021, GPC acquired fiber assets in Kearney and surrounding areas, including Grand Island and Lexington, along with fiber assets in the Colorado communities of Blackhawk and Central City through the acquisition of Kearney-based USA Communications. GPC has since continued to invest in and expand its network to reach more homes and businesses with high-capacity fiber services. The company’s network investments will enable an improved customer experience that will be sustainable not only today, but in the future as technology advancement continues. “The growing demand for bandwidth-intensive applications requires next generation fiber-optic infrastructure that will empower customers with the fastest, most reliable internet and technology services,” said Tony Thakur, GPC’s chief technology officer. “GPC is dedicated to the ongoing improvement of our high-performing network to support emerging technology and products, while providing a seamless customer experience to our users.” p Stop by Deal Center Table 17 or 20 to meet with Great Plains Communications. 123NET Promotes Three to Expand C-Suite
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