Partners in Connecting the Community
Writer / Alaina Sullivan
Photos provided
Local information technology service and support can be hard to find. Finding quality service can be tricky, but finding quality locally outsourced services can be near impossible. Johnson County Fiber Network was created with this in mind and provides top-notch information technology products and services to businesses, schools and organizations in Johnson County.
WHO IS JCFN?
Johnson County Fiber Network was created out of a partnership between Johnson County REMC and NineStar Connect. In late 2012, Johnson County REMC (jcremc.com) completed installation of 115 miles of fiber optic cable spanning their entire distribution network. With this installation complete and with the potential to reach their entire membership base, Johnson County REMC was ready to take the next step of offering fiber to the premises.
NineStar Connect holds over 120 years of experience in the telecommunications and fiber industries and offered a large number of highly trained staff, experts in technical and customer support services.
“We were not experts, so for this, we needed a business partner – one that not only had the technical and logistical background for the job but who also had an understanding of the cooperative business model,” said Chet Aubin, CEO of Johnson County REMC.
Therefore, Johnson County REMC joined forces with NineStar Connect to become Johnson County Fiber Network, LLC. To JCFN, it is all about being local. “We do not have stockholders in other states or countries, nor are our board’s actions dictated by some outside influence,” said Aubin. “Everything is local and is akin to the saying that ’a rising tide lifts all ships.’”
JCFN SERVICES
Johnson County Fiber Network’s services include broadband services (up to 1Gig and beyond), Voice Services, Hosted Phone Solutions, Outsourced Information Technology Solutions. Data solutions include Colocation Services, Live Call Center offerings and Security solutions.
NineStar Connect’s outsourced information technology services include installation and reinstallation of operating systems, server and network setup, wireless networking, data migration and backup services, hardware upgrades, diagnostics and repairs, new computer setups, virus and spyware removal and more.
WHY JCFN?
“JCFN is a Central Indiana company,” Aubin points out. “All of our operations, staff, support center and field personnel are located in Johnson and Hancock counties.”
JCFN also deploys the latest in technologies that provide the fastest broadband speed and most reliable services to organizations in Johnson County.
Broadband speeds are synchronous, which means if you have a 150Mb connection, you get 150Mb down and 150Mb up connectivity, emergency broadband solutions up to 1Gig and beyond are also available through JCFN.
“Most providers cannot provide this type of speed both up and down,” said Aubin.
“We have over 140 miles of fiber optics installed throughout Johnson County,” he stated. “Existing customers are in areas including Greenwood, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Franklin, Nineveh and Whiteland.”
Indiana FFA Leadership Center, located south of Trafalgar, used to suffer from poor Internet access. Joe Park, Executive Director, said, “When we were looking to upgrade our Internet access, our current provider submitted a bid too. NineStar [Johnson County Fiber Network] came in at half the price with a much faster speed. It’s been a godsend for us. Having fiber allows our visitors to keep in touch with the outside world, and it opens up new opportunities to host new groups and events.”
One of JCFN customers is the City of Greenwood. Rich Jones, Greenwood’s CIO, had this to say about working with JCFN at Freedom Springs Aquatics Park, “After months of planning with a major telecommunications company, I suddenly found myself scrambling to find a vendor. The company decided 10 days before our opening date that they couldn’t provide the requested services. I turned to Johnson County Fiber Network. They were able to install fiber and deliver the critical Internet/VPN services like https://vpntap.com/ needed to support our network and point of sales systems at the new facility. Their quick response was a lifesaver!”
INVESTING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
“At the core of JCFN are two cooperatives, Johnson County REMC and NineStar Connect,” Aubin pointed out. “These companies are owned by their members, and their board of directors are elected by the members. They operate within their specific territories and are driven to provide the best services possible to the customers they serve.”
Both founding partners of JCFN reinvest in the communities they serve. Millions of dollars have been provided to charities and organizations within their service territories including sponsoring students on weeklong Youth Tours to our nation’s capital and the Johnson County Fair Queen contest. They also award scholarships annually to high school students.
