KINGSTREE, SC — FTC is in the final stages of a conversion to a new core switch that will better serve its telephone customers, company officials recently announced.
Personnel have been moving FTC’s landline customers to its Meta switch for about 18 months and only a few businesses are left to complete the conversion. All residential customers are on the new switch, according to FTC officials, and the transition has been relatively smooth.
FTC did experience a few network interruptions on the previous system and during the conversion process, but the benefits of the conversion are already being realized with greater reliability and increased redundancy.
The primary reason for the migration was that the manufacturer of the previous switch no longer provided support for its product. Upon notification of this, FTC began to take steps for the conversion to the new technology.
“The world of telecommunications is constantly changing,” FTC Public Relations Director Chip Chase said. “New technology is introduced almost daily and we are always looking for ways to make our services, all of our services, better. The conversion to the Meta switch is just another step to make our telephony network even more reliable for years to come.”
About FTC
Founded in 1951, Farmers Telephone Cooperative Inc. is a local, multifaceted telecommunications company headquartered in Kingstree, S.C. Serving more than 60,000 customers within a coverage area of 3,000 square miles, FTC provides cutting-edge technology to businesses and residents in Clarendon, Lower Florence, Lee, Sumter and Williamsburg counties in South Carolina. A veteran in the telephone industry, FTC is the second largest telephone cooperative in the United States. FTC has evolved into a state-of-the-art organization offering Phone, Digital TV, Internet, Security and Wireless. Customers can choose from a wide array of products and services at any of the company’s eight full-service business offices.
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