Over 65 years, a family business in McDonald County has seen some changes. Today McDonald County Telephone provides telephone, internet and television services to people in and around Anderson, Pineville and Jane, marketing director Chris Roessler said.
Right now, the company is going fiber optic. Like many communications systems, McDonald Country Telephone was using copper cable, but copper connections are at the mercy of the weather. Storms can cause issues, Roessler said. But fiber optic cables are buried in the ground and much more reliable.
It's a big project to cover so much area, especially with the topography of McDonald County, he said. Not only does the company have to contend with rocky ground, but it also has to be careful of existing gas and water lines. In some cases, the cables are run above ground.
Once a customer is connected, there are several choices. Telephone service includes either business or residential, with the option available for speed dialing, caller ID and voice-mail packages.
McDonald County Internet gives customers a choice of speeds ranging from five to 100 megabits per second.
McDonald County Multi-Media starts with a basic video package of more than 100 channels. Premium channels including HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax are available "a-la-cart" or in a package. DVRs are also available.
General News on 03/22/2017