Windstream Corp. has taken its wholesale Carrier Switched Ethernet service nationwide. The offering is available within its entire footprint, through existing network interconnects.
In a separate announcement, the carrier said that it has named Jeff Hinson as chairman of the board, along with making some other executive changes.
The product is aimed at multi-location data opportunities, and provides wholesale carriers access to both ILEC and CLEC exchanges within the Windstream network. Interconnect ports of 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps are available, and end-user loops from 3Mbps to 1Gbps are supported.
“By expanding our Carrier Switched Ethernet solution, our customers now have a broader ability to reach businesses with dependable Ethernet access,” said Don Perkins, Windstream’s senior vice president of business marketing. “Ethernet expansion represents continued network and product integration, resulting in greater efficiency, consistency, and reliability for many organizations. This growth further positions Windstream as a key service provider in the carrier Ethernet industry.”
The bandwidth can be used for the transfer of voluminous content, such as video and high-resolution images, or for basic business services, such as e-mail and documents, and can be customized to meet necessary requirements.
Meanwhile, Hinson’s appointment will be effective May 1. Hinson qualifies as an independent director, and this appointment will continue Windstream’s practice of separating the positions of CEO and Chairman.
Hinson succeeds Dennis Foster, who has served as chairman since 2010. Foster will continue as a member of the board and to serve on the board’s compensation committee.
Also on May 1, Skip Frantz will become chairman of the audit committee, a position Hinson has held since 2010. Frantz also qualifies as an independent director and as an audit committee financial expert. When he takes the position, Hinson will no longer serve on the audit committee.
“Dennis Foster has been a great source of support and counsel for me over the past three years,” said Jeff Gardner, Windstream president and CEO. “Our board and shareholders have benefited tremendously from Dennis’ leadership as chairman, and we are delighted that he will continue as a Windstream director.”
Carol Armitage will continue to chair the governance committee, and Sandy Beall will continue to chair the compensation committee.
