Emerald People’s Utility District Gets More for Less with LS Networks
Public Utility:
6x the number of phone lines, all with redundant connections,
10x internet speeds over previous provider — at one third the cost of incumbent provider and other competitive bids.
Products
High Speed Fiber Internet Unified Communications
The Challenge
10 years ago, fiber was a rare commodity and an expensive technology. Since then, it’s become more affordable, gotten much faster, and has obsoleted other internet infrastructures. Emerald PUD, an electric utility provider in Lane County, Oregon, knew this fact and suspected it was paying more for what it could get from its sole internet service provider (ISP).
Emerald also had just 24 phone lines to service users – an insufficient amount to handle the job during power outages when they often received over a 1,000 calls. Additionally, disparate communication systems made resolving IT issues quite challenging.
The company was looking for: Faster internet speeds More phone lines
Better pricing on both
Emerald’s current ISP refused to come down on the price for its fiber service, so the utility company shopped around for new ISPs. “We discovered most other providers would require build costs that reached into the multiple tens of thousands of dollars,” said JJ MacLean, Technology Supervisor, Emerald PUD
The Action
LS Networks worked with Emerald to deliver the speeds the company was looking for in the budget it had.
LS Networks:
- Brought the company onto its high-speed fiber optic network
- Worked closely with Emerald to align its technology needs with its budget
- Became the vendor for Emerald’s phone system to streamline both internet and voice
- Implemented redundancy throughout the company’s connections
- Installed 148 phone lines
- Provided rapid resolution to any issue with trained engineers
“After a decade with their internet service provider, Emerald People’s Utility District (PUD) decided they needed service that was faster, more flexible, and more reliable at a price that fit their budget. Enter: LS Networks.”
– JJ MacLean, Technology Supervisor, Emerald PUD
“LS Networks really worked with us to bring down the cost to get the service into our office.”
– JJ MacLean, Technology Supervisor, Emerald PUD
Products
High-Speed Fiber Internet Unified Communications
Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD) serves approximately 20,000 homes in rural Lane County and is one of six public utility districts in Oregon. EPUD tailors its services to meet the needs of the communities they serve, offering a wide array of programs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. These programs include income-qualified energy assistance, weatherization, lighting efficiency, energy audits, conservation, and much more. Visit EPUD at www.epud.org.
Location: Eugene, Oregon
“If we added to our old plan what LS Networks delivered, we would be paying three times as much or more right now.”
– JJ MacLean, Technology Supervisor, Emerald PUD
The Results
With the phones and internet combined, Emerald is still paying less than its previous service.
6x Emerald PUD has six times the number of phone lines – all with redundant connections.
10x The utility company sees
10x the internet speed
over its previous connection.
When a challenge arises, LS Networks engineers are exceptionally quick to respond.
“We get really quick resolution with the team over there. I am a huge fan. The folks at LS Networks know what they’re doing and what we need, and they provide immediate feedback,”
said MacLean.
