Q1 2020

      
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Welcome

Welcome to the quarterly Bluebird Network newsletter. In each newsletter, we bring you the latest updates regarding Bluebird activities, industry news, and upcoming events. Right now, we are certainly facing challenges and changes presented due to COVID-19. During these uncertain times, we want to reassure you that Bluebird Network is dedicated to maintaining the top-quality fiber internet and transport connections, data center services, and customer service that is expected from our company. Although times have changed, and “business as usual” has taken on new meaning, these changes do not alter Bluebird’s commitment to providing you our services in the same quality manner you deserve. We are committed to keeping you connected.

As part of that commitment, Bluebird is excited to share that we have completed our acquisition of the Illinois Network Alliance (INA). This purchase empowers Bluebird to expand its network footprint in Illinois and strengthen our fiber services and high-bandwidth network solutions throughout the Midwest.

We of course have more news to share so please click on the article links, visit our website and social media outlets, and share our newsletters with others who may benefit from our information. Thank you to all of our employees and customers for their continued support. Stay healthy!

Michael Morey,
President and CEO


Your Bluebird Service & COVID-19

At Bluebird Network, the health and safety of our employees and customers is our top concern. As we closely track the impact that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has on our businesses and communities, we understand how critical our services are to our customers. We want to assure you that both Bluebird Network and the Bluebird Underground Data Center are maintaining our high standards of broadband infrastructure and data center facilities and foresee no service interruptions due to COVID-19.

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An Overview of Bluebird Network

Bluebird Network is a Midwest telecommunications company that provides an efficient and fast fiber-optic network to rural and urban customers throughout the Midwest. Bluebird Network focuses on combining cutting-edge technology and the brightest individuals to deliver high-speed broadband and internet services, and secure data storage solutions to enterprise, carrier and data center customers throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa and the surrounding states. Our data center, the Bluebird Underground Data Center located in Springfield, Missouri, is an underground colocation facility that offers hardware and equipment protection from natural and unnatural disasters. For our customers, our services translate to quality, continuity, and performance. At Bluebird Network, we understand that success is all about good connections.

BLUEBIRD NEWS
Bluebird Network Completes Acquisition of Illinois Network Alliance LLC

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, March 31, 2020 — Bluebird Network LLC, a Midwest telecommunications company, is excited to announce the completion of its acquisition of the Illinois Network Alliance (INA), becoming the Alliance’s sole owner. This purchase empowers Bluebird to expand its network footprint in Illinois and strengthen its fiber services and high-bandwidth network solutions for cell towers, hospitals, schools, government facilities and other businesses throughout the Midwest. Bluebird continues to be dedicated to delivering excellent customer service while expanding its footprint through this acquisition and subsequent fiber build outs.


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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Illinois Network Alliance Acquisition by Bluebird Network

What is being acquired?
Bluebird Network (“Bluebird”) has completed the acquisition of, and is now the sole owner of the Illinois Network Alliance (“INA”).

Who is Illinois Network Alliance?
Illinois Network Alliance is a collection of telecommunications companies located in Illinois. Through Bluebird’s management, Bluebird has been the catalyst that allows these companies to connect to each other, to the internet and to its customer base. With this acquisition, Bluebird will now be taking direct ownership of all customers and the network.


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Bluebird Network’s Food Bank Donation Supports Buddy Pack Program and Provides Food to Students


COLUMBIA, MO — Bluebird Network LLC, (Bluebird), Missouri’s second largest internet service provider to schools, continues its dedication to supporting educational facilities and their students, especially as the need for distance learning rises, by donating five thousand dollars to The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri’s Buddy Pack program.

The Buddy Pack program is one of the many initiatives of The Food Bank organization. This program provides nutritious meals to children who rely on free or reduced-price lunches. Approximately 7,500 children across 160 schools in the 32-county service area receive food each week through the Buddy Pack program.


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Bluebird Appoints New VP of Operations and VP of Engineering

COLUMBIA, MO - Bluebird Network, a provider of fiber transport and internet services and an underground data center owner, announces the promotion of Elliott Gillespie and Doug Zerr to Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Engineering respectively. Gillespie will be managing Field Operations, including customer installations, maintenance, and customer support. He will also manage Bluebird’s NOC (Network Operation Center), including Change Management and SLA Reporting, Network Planning and Architecture, and will lead Bluebird’s IT department and the Bluebird Underground Data Center. Zerr will play a key role in the strategic direction of Bluebird, overseeing all aspects of Central Office Engineering, Service Provisioning, Service Delivery, and Fiber Plant Engineering.


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UNDERGROUND UPDATES
Stay Connected to Your Data and Stay Where You Feel Safe

In our commitment to keeping you connected amid this challenging time, we’re also reminding our customers to take advantage of our data center’s Remote Hands Service. This service authorizes our Bluebird technicians to better serve your colocation needs on your behalf, so you and your team can continue to feel safe during this period of social distancing.

This premium feature allows you to effectively plan for installation and maintenance activities, react more efficiently to emergencies, improve uptime, and reduce the cost of infrastructure management and maintenance. Our highly trained technicians are available 24/7/365 and will work with your technical personnel to assist in deployment, diagnosis, or resolution of an issue upon your request.

The Remote Hands Service activities include:
  • Server Reboots
  • Server Refreshes
  • Equipment Installation
  • Shipping packages
  • Receiving packages
  • Customer-requested audits
To start your Remote Hands Service, visit our website and complete the Remote Hands Service Form. For emergency requests, please call the Bluebird NOC at 877-766-2662 in addition to completing the Remote Hands Service Request Form.

The security, accessibility, and safe transmission of your data is our priority. Bluebird Network and the Bluebird Underground Data Center continues to bring you the same top-quality service you expect.

BEHIND THE NETWORK
As a “critical infrastructure service”, Bluebird Network continues with the installation, construction, and the maintenance of our fiber-optic infrastructure as planned, including 24x7x365 monitoring of our network and data center. The Network Operations Center (NOC) has remote visibility to monitor your Bluebird service and the stability of the core network to include fiber and sensitive electronics in order to keep everyone connected. Bluebird utilizes state-of-the-art Network Management Systems to proactively scan for potential disruptions allowing Bluebird to prevent significant outages.

With the increased internet usage, Bluebird is offering temporary bandwidth upgrades to our current customers (additional bandwidth pricing applies). Our high capacity network enables us to increase customer bandwidth by simple remote provisioning. Our Network and Engineering teams can complete upgrades quickly, reliably, and safely from a Bluebird office location 24 hours a day.

New circuit installations are no trouble for the Bluebird team. Often times, Bluebird will only be onsite for 15 minutes, to install a Network Interface Device (NID). Our NID allows our customer to access their circuit and provide the Bluebird NOC with real-time statistics to keep the customer circuit and our network healthy. Speaking of health, our Operations Team and Technicians are trained on CDC guidelines in order to protect themselves and others from the transmission of COVID-19.
ENTERPRISE COLUMN
Bluebird Looks to Grow Its Agent Channel

Up until now, Bluebird Network has lacked an agent channel. According to President and CEO Michael Morey though, this is no longer the case.

“Something’s changed in our business strategy,” Morey explained when we sat down with him at Metro Connect in Miami. “We’ve created a methodology where we identified our near-net fiber buildings and determined how much it will cost us to get to these. Now, if you can get somebody who wants to buy these speeds at a certain location, you can go do it. That’s an environment that can work for agents as long as there are enough buildings and opportunities to do that.”


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Bluebird Network Completes Fiber Build in Jefferson City, MO

COLUMBIA, MO - Bluebird Network LLC, a Midwest telecommunications company, today announces the completion of its fiber expansion in Jefferson City, MO. This expansion will provide a high-quality fiber-based internet and transport service option for local governments, wireless towers and businesses within the state capital. This fiber build is 100 percent underground, protecting it from natural disasters and further ensuring reliability of service.


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Bluebird Network Completes Fiber Expansion in Springfield, MO

COLUMBIA, MO - Bluebird Network LLC, a Midwest telecommunications company, today announces the completion of its fiber expansion and investment in Springfield, MO. This expansion interconnects major business areas in Springfield to the Bluebird Underground Data Center — also located in Springfield, and to its 9,300-plus-mile fiber network throughout the Midwest


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INDUSTRY CHATTER
FCC: Networks Usage Surges 35%, Providers Meeting Demand
Network providers expect to continue rising to occasion as coronavirus drags on

As network usage has seen high increases over the last few weeks because of stay-at-home policies related to the coronavirus pandemic, network providers—including broadband and telephone services on fixed and cellular networks—told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on a conference call that are meeting these new demands.


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Home Tech The increased use of telehealth presents a significant opportunity for network operators

Telehealth service usage has skyrocketed in the US, as patients and healthcare providers look for alternatives to in-person medical visits to limit possible exposure to the coronavirus. Before the pandemic, only 8% of US consumers had reported ever using telehealth services, though 66% indicated they would be willing to try, according to American Well's 2019 Telehealth Index Consumer Survey.

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T-Mobile Completes Takeover of Rival Company Sprint

Mobile carrier T-Mobile announced today that it's officially completed a merger with Sprint. The deal, which was announced in 2018, means that the previously third and fourth largest wireless companies in the United States have now become the third — rivaling AT&T and Verizon. The new company, just called T-Mobile, is hoping to use its new pool of resources to expand its 5G capabilities, aiming to provide faster internet speeds to 99% of the population within the next six years.


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Corporate HQ
2005 W. Broadway Bldg. A
Suite 215
Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 1-573-777-4200
Toll Free: 1-855-BLUEBIRD
Kansas City Office
800 N.W. Chipman Road
Suite 5750
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
Phone: 816-361-8821
Toll Free: 888-832-6662
 
St. Louis Office
10024 Office Center Avenue
Suite 201
St. Louis, Missouri 63128
Phone: 1-314-270-8730
Bluebird Underground
1904 N. LeCompte
Springfield, Missouri 65802
Phone: 1-417-851-0200