Agri Valley
Communications, Inc.
How we started and grew
Pigeon Telephone Company is the cornerstone of the communications
operation based in Pigeon. Over the years it has created various
communication companies that continue to help advance the economic
development of Pigeon and surrounding areas. Pigeon Telephone
now has almost 4,000 customers in four exchanges: Pigeon, Twining,
Alba and Lakes of the North in five counties in the Lower Peninsula
of Michigan. The company continues to reflect the changing telecommunications
scene. In the 1970s, the owners of Pigeon Telephone purchased
Twining and Alba Telephone Companies. In the 1980s, the companies
were merged into one: Pigeon Telephone Company. In 1981, John
Eichler and James J. Christner bought out the portion of the
company owned by Willis Hengy. Karl J. Leppien continued to
serve on the board, having started in 1972. The late 70s and
early 80s saw many communication advances. Pigeon Telephone
stayed at the front of those advances, installing digital service
in its exchanges starting in the late 70s and ending in the
mid 80s. During this time Pigeon Telephone also looked at how
it could provide additional communications services to customers
in its various service areas. This led to providing Improved
Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS), starting in the mid '80s, until
what is known as cellular telephone service came into being
in rural America in the '90s. IMTS provide an important niche
wireless service in the Thumb of Michigan. It was maintained
long after what was perceived as useful because IMTS was used
by Great Lakes Carriers while providing shipping services on
Lake Huron.
In 1986, Ed Eichler took over as president and chief executive
officer, and Neal Eichler as vice president of AVCI and the
other interconnecting companies. John Eichler died in August
of 1988, but the legacy he set in place continued. On his birthday,
Dec. 13, 1988, Pigeon Telephone and associated other communication
companies won the license to provide wireless cellular service
in Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties.
In 1982, a subsidiary was formed called Agri Valley Communications,
Inc. (AVCI), for the purpose of handling service the Michigan
Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) directed to no longer be regulated telecommunication services.
In the 1990s the decision was made that a non-regulated entity
was better for the holding company, and Agri-Valley Communications
became the corporate parent of Pigeon Telephone Company, Thumb
Cellular and Agri Valley Services.
As Internet access grew in importance, Pigeon Telephone Company
looked at how it could provide Internet service to its customers.
Agri Valley Services, more commonly known as AVCI.net, started
offering Internet dial up services on April 10, 1996 to exchanges
in Pigeon and surrounding areas.
As we move into the early parts of the 21st century, Pigeon
Telephone still strives to offer the latest in communication
services to its customers. Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) service
provides high speed connections to customers allowing them faster
data connections. Staff members continue to be involved in many
ways throughout the various communities that the company services.
Re regulation, in the guise of deregulation at state and federal
levels, continues to absorb significant amounts of staff time.
Pigeon Telephone President Ed Eichler is the only small telephone
company representative on the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC). USAC is charged by the FCC to administer money
that is used to keep local rates for telecommunications services
in rural areas comparable to those in cities.
Pigeon Telephone Company is committed to providing the highest
level of technology to its customers. That technology now includes
all fiber optic cable in the long distance portion of its operations
and some fiber optics in the local service portion as well.
Additionally, the company provides telephone equipment, plus
installation and repair services to many residential and business
customers throughout the Thumb area.
Demand
for cellular services fuels growth of a new venture
As president of Pigeon Telephone, Edwin H. Eichler has always
been involved in many independent telephone organizations..
Through these organizations and the many relationships he developed
through the years, Ed became intricately involved in providing
cellular service to several rural areas in Michigan. With the
demand for rural cellular service increasing dramatically, the
FCC created over 400 RSAs (Rural Cellular Areas), of which there
are 10 in Michigan. A wireless lottery was held in December
1988 to determine who would gain the rights to sell cellular
service in each of the RSAs across the country. Through the
contacts Ed had made with many of the local telephone carriers
who were also interested in these licenses, he was able to negotiate
a 51 percent ownership of RS A 10.
Thumb Cellular began selling service in August 1991, with one
office located in Pigeon, four towers and five employees. Today,
Thumb Cellular has four office locations (Bad Axe, Caro, Pigeon,
Sandusky), over 40 full time employees and 31 cell sites. Now
totally owned by AVCI, it is in the process of installing its
own switch, thus providing end to end service under control
of Thumb Cellular.
The success of Thumb Cellular is largely due to its emphasis
on customer service. Customer satisfaction remains paramount
at every level of the operation. A host of customer care representatives,
account executives, key account managers, and other employees
remain poised to serve customers with help on product selections
and account services.
Agri
Valley Services / AVCI.net Brings the Information Super Highway
to the Thumb as an Internet Service Provider
Always keeping up with today's rapidly and ever changing communications
technology is a primary goal of Agri-Valley Services, more commonly
known as AVCI.net.
As a subsidiary of Agri Valley Communication, AVCI.net brings
years of expertise and knowledge in the telecommunications industry
to your front door.
Since April 1996, AVCI.net has provided quality Internet access
to the residents and businesses of Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac
counties, as well as the Twining and Tawas areas of Arenac,
the Gaylord, Alba, Onaway and Lakes of the North areas of Antrim
and Otsego counties and the greater Alpena County area.
AVCI.net provides full Internet services from local dial up
and high speed connections to web design/web storage services.
As Pigeon prepares to celebrate its centennial this year, Agri
Valley Services, with the help of a consulting firm, is developing
high speed data capabilities over the wireless spectrum that
has been acquired by AVCI from the FCC.
AVCI.net utilizes a multiple backbone system with direct connections
to hubs from MCI, Cable and Wireless, Qwest and Broadwing. It
also provides direct backbone connections to Harbor Beach, Caseville,
Bad Axe, Cass City, Sebewaing, Pigeon, Sandusky, Akron, Lakes
of the North and Gaylord. This direct connection, along with
its utilization of Border Gateway Protocol 4 technology, gives
proper load balancing and redundancy in Internet access. This
means better connections and faster downloads times.
Through a variety of subscriber plans, customers get much more
than a simple Internet connection. AVCI.net can also offer you
or your business dedicated connections and broadband solutions
for all your Internet service needs. Just call and speak with
a customer service representative.
The technology of the next 100 years is yet undiscovered. But,
Agri Valley Communications, Inc. is certain to be on the cutting
edge of that technology. |
