MaxxSouth Broadband

Last Mile Communications Announces the Completion of its Management Partnering Project at MaxxSouth Broadband

PRESS RELEASE

NEWTOWN, Conn., (April 3, 2018) — On April 1, Last Mile Communications, LLC (LMC), the international telecommunications management partnering and consulting firm, announced it has added another success to its portfolio, as it completed its three-and-a-half-year management partnering project at MaxxSouth Broadband, an asset acquired by Block Communications, Inc. (BCI) in late 2014.

BCI acquired the broadband asset from Harron Communications. LMC assisted BCI during the acquisition process and took on the management partnering responsibilities of the new entity, MaxxSouth Broadband, upon the completion of the transaction on November 7, 2014. The new company quickly established itself as the area’s premier broadband provider within the 65 communities it currently serves.

“It was our honor to team with BCI, an iconic privately-held United States communications and media firm founded over 115 years ago. One of their key operations within our industry is Buckeye Broadband, a premier cable TV and broadband provider serving the Toledo, Ohio area for over 50 years,” said LMC’s Founding Partner & Chairman, Peter Kahelin.

To ensure BCI’s return on investment in their new venture, LMC assigned five of its key executives to lead the MaxxSouth project, working closely with the local team. Kahelin stated, “LMC’s industry expertise and experience helped deliver strong company growth, best-in-class technical services and customer care, a strong community presence and brand name, and the ability to fully transition the operation into the BCI environment upon LMC’s exit from the project.”

Kahelin added, “We are proud of what LMC and the local team at MaxxSouth accomplished over the three and a half years. Everything came together in a way seldom seen in the business, as we far exceeded all industry metrics. We successfully moved into the 1 Gigabit internet era, launched the locally renowned 24-hour regional sports network, MaxxSouth Sports, and became a key player in supporting programs and organizations within the communities the company serves.”

Today, MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for its Video, High-Speed Internet and Digital Voice platform stretches more than 200 miles offering services in 23 counties and 65 communities within northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has more than 92,000 broadband customers and its network passes over 114,000 homes.

Kahelin stated, “The team of professionals at MaxxSouth are well poised to join forces with the BCI team to continue the successes created during LMC’s tenure. We are proud of the local team and know we are passing on to Allan Block, BCI’s esteemed Chairman and industry pioneer, one heck of a solid organization. We are honored to have played a part in BCI’s storied legacy.”

As LMC bids farewell to MaxxSouth, the five LMC executives that led this effort will now take a well-deserved respite. In the near future, these executives will take on key roles within opportunities LMC is currently reviewing with other broadband operators and institutional investors.

About Last Mile Communications, LLC (LMC)

Last Mile Communications, LLC (LMC), is a renowned international telecommunications management partnering and consulting firm with its operational headquarters in Newtown, Connecticut (United States), and satellite headquarters in London, England and Bucharest, Romania. For more information, visit www.lastmile.net

 

Contact for More Information: 

Ivelisse Cruz
Phone: 203-491-7740 (United States)
E-mail: ivelisse.cruz@lastmile.net
Web: http://lastmile.net/

Block Communications to Acquire Ripley Video Cable

TOLEDO, OHIO (September 1, 2017) Block Communications, Inc., a 117-year-old diversified media holding company with telecommunications operations in northern Mississippi and Alabama, serving customers through its MaxxSouth Broadband subsidiary, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Ripley Video Cable, a cable and broadband services provider in north-central Mississippi.

Ripley Video Cable provides cable television, high-speed internet and digital voice services to residential and commercial customers in the towns of Ripley, Blue Mountain, Falkner and Pine Grove, all within Tippah County, Mississippi.

Allan Block, Chairman of Block Communications We are a family-owned company operating in the cable business since 1965, and so we well recognize the hard work Leon and Diane Bailey, owners of Ripley Video Cable, have done over the years to provide excellent, local customer service. The Baileys’ unparalleled contribution to the cable TV and broadband industry within Mississippi will live on through our MaxxSouth operation because we share a common vision: To be good corporate citizens by giving back to our communities in ways that enhance their quality of life.”

Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband President and CEO said, “MaxxSouth will continue Ripley Video Cable’s tradition of outstanding, local customer service and community support, which made the company a staple in the towns they serve Kahelin and his team in Mississippi have led MaxxSouth since 2014, building a record of successful broadband operations, support for community organizations, and dedicated customer service in the long tradition of Block-owned businesses.

Kahelin added, “I am honored to welcome Ripley Video Cable to our MaxxSouth family. Their almost 50-year history as a local business and their dedication to improving the lives of the people in the Mississippi communities they serve is what makes Ripley Video Cable such a perfect fit for us.” In the nearly three years MaxxSouth has operated in Mississippi and Alabama, it has upgraded its physical plant to provide higher and more reliable internet speeds, expanded its video offerings, and improved its retail stores to create a much more pleasant and welcoming experience for its customers.

“My wife Diane and I are confident that Block Communications, through its MaxxSouth Broadband leadership, will serve our communities with a strong commitment to excellence and will carry on our customer-oriented philosophy”, said Leon Bailey, Jr., of Ripley Video Cable. “We are proud to pass the torch on to another family-owned company that enjoys a long, successful history in the telecommunications industry.”

Jodi Miehls, Block Communications Executive Vice President of Finance and CFO added “This acquisition further advances Block Communications’ broadband growth and geographical diversification strategy that was put in motion with the 2014 purchase of the former Harron Communications (MetroCast) properties in Mississippi and Alabama, now operating as MaxxSouth

“We now look forward to investing in the future of Ripley Video Cable and its customers by, among other things, upgrading the network and offering a wider selection of video channels, faster internet connections and a complete suite of advanced business service”, concluded Allan Block.

The transaction is expected to close during the last quarter of 2017, upon regulatory approvals. Last Mile Communications, LLC (LMC) and Milestone Communications, Inc., served as the exclusive advisors to Block Communications, Inc./MaxxSouth Broadband and Ripley Video Cable, respectively.

About Block Communications, Inc. (BCI)

Block Communications is a 117-year-old privately held diversified media company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio with operations in cable television/broadband, commercial telecommunications, newspaper publishing and television broadcasting. The company owns and operates Buckeye Broadband, its cable system serving the Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan areas, and Buckeye Telesystem, its facilities-based commercial telecommunications business serving commercial customers primarily in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. In addition, Block Communications publishes two daily metropolitan newspapers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and The Blade in Toledo, Ohio, each of which is the dominant newspaper publication in its market. The company also owns and operates multiple television broadcast stations, among other businesses. For more information, visit www.blockcommunications.com.

About MaxxSouth Broadband

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 61 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. Operating as a subsidiary of Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com.

Last Mile Communications, LLC (LMC)

Last Mile Communications, LLC, a management partnering and consulting firm based in Newtown, CT, served as exclusive advisors to Block Communications, Inc. and MaxxSouth Broadband. For more information, visit www.lastmile.net.

Milestone Communications, Inc.

Milestone Communications, Inc., a brokerage and consulting services company in Castle Pines, CO, was the Ripley Video Cable advisor for this transaction. For more information, visit www.milestonecomminc.com.

 

Media Contact:

Jodi L. Miehls

419-724-6257

jmiehls@toledoblade.com

MaxxSouth Broadband completes expansion of 1 Gigabit internet

OXFORD, Miss. (August 3, 2017)—Just in time for the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University students to return, MaxxSouth Broadband finalized the upgrade of its network to provide up to 1 Gigabit internet broadband services to all of Oxford and to Starkville’s surrounding areas. This upgrade will provide students and these communities with significant speed increases, enabling residents to connect to the internet faster.

Using Docsis 3.1 technology, combined with the existing fiber-to-the-home services that MaxxSouth launched last year, the company now offers all Oxford residents and numerous Starkville areas access to 1 Gigabit internet speeds. The service is dramatically faster than the average speed of internet connection in the country and is available at a competitive price.

“This upgrade is a game-changer for Oxford’s and Starkville’s residents, students and faculty members,” said Peter Kahelin, President and CEO of MaxxSouth. “Investing in infrastructures that provide state-of-the-art broadband services to cities that house important academic institutions is critical to support the development and future of these communities.”

The company also announced that the towns of Bruce, Calhoun City, Derma, Houston and Vardaman now have access to the 1 Gigabit internet broadband service, as part of MaxxSouth’s network enhancements.

Internet speeds at 1 Gigabit represent a download capability of 1,000 Megabits. With the average internet speed in the U.S., downloading a two-hour high definition movie would take about 30 minutes. Using a 1 Gigabit internet service, that same download would take less than a minute.

“MaxxSouth Broadband continues to deliver on its commitment to enhance the broadband amenities provided to the communities it serves,” said Kahelin. “We are devoted to continue our expansion of advanced internet, video and telephony services into other communities throughout central and northern Mississippi. The ultimate goal is that the 61 municipalities that comprise our coverage area will have access to these new technologies.”

Kahelin went on to say that the company’s broadband network upgrades will continue later this year and into the future. He also invites all Mississippi residents to experience the 1 Gigabit service at the new MaxxSouth retail location at 1901 Jackson Ave. West Oxford.

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 61 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 85,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Hosts a Grand Opening for Its All New Retail Center in Louisville

MaxxSouth is proud to announce the grand opening of the Louisville Retail Center was a huge success! This retail center has been much needed by the community of Louisville. If the residents needed assistance with their bill and wanted to speak with someone in person, they had to travel to Starkville. With the opening of the Louisville Retail Center, they can now receive a hassle free experience.

With the growing success of MaxxSouth Broadband, the upgrades and expansions are a way for the company to say thank you to each of the residents. Former Senator Giles Ward and the entire Louisville Chamber of Commerce showed their support at the event. While there, the attendees got to experience first hand MaxxSouth’s products and services at the state of the art experience table.

You will be able to find the new retail center at 15561 West Main Street Suite C in Louisville. MaxxSouth invites everyone to come by and see what all the hype is about!

Grand Opening Held for MaxxSouth’s Newly Renovated Retail Center in Forest

MaxxSouth Broadband hosted a grand opening for it’s newly renovated retail center in Forest, MS on July 12th. The new facility boasts a more modern décor and state of the art experience table for customers to try out MaxxSouth’s products and services.

MaxxSouth has grown significantly over the past two years, allowing the company to focus more on improvements and customer experience. The original office that was in Forest was very out dated and out of the way for customers to find. This new location will be easier to access with a lot more parking to make it more convenient for the customers.

City Officials such as Mayor Nancy Chambers, Director of Forest Area Chamber of Commerce Allyce Lott, Representative Tom Miles, and Senator Terry Burton attended the event. Tonya Thompson, MaxxSouth’s Regional General Manager, was also in attendance.

The new store location is at 826 Woodland Drive North (Highway 35). MaxxSouth invites all of Forest to come be a part of it’s continuing progress!

MaxxSouth: Think Local, Act Like a National

SOURCE: Alison Diana, UBB2020.com

It may be a lot smaller than main competitor AT&T, but MaxxSouth Broadband expects its combined investment in DOCSIS 3.1, FTTH-powered gigabit service and a big local presence will make it the provider of choice to the region’s residential and commercial customers.

The company, a subsidiary of family-owned Block Communications Inc. , entered this region in November 2014 with about 101 employees. Over this time, it’s consolidated once disparate networks into one larger piece of infrastructure, allowing MaxxSouth to centrally control, manage and maintain the network. Headcount now tops 250.

UBB2020 recently spoke with Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband president and CEO, to discuss the operator’s technology decisions, new revenue opportunities and the role it plays in the community. Following is an edited version of that conversation.

UBB2020: Could you briefly describe MaxxSouth Broadband?

Peter Kahelin: They bought the operations from MetroCast. We run as a subsidiary, separate but we all share between each other. We operate in Mississippi and [part of] Alabama as well. We have 61 communities here in Mississippi.

UBB2020: What prompted you to invest in your infrastructure?

PK: Let’s face it, we’re a small operator. We’re not Comcast. We’re not one of the big players. For a small operator today, to make that investment, is a big deal. All our 61 communities are hooked together on one network, spread out literally from north to south. It’s close to a six-hour drive north to south and a four-hour drive east to west. They’re all hooked up on one network.

We saw the need to need to invest in our networks, especially the advanced side, because let’s face it, the world is going IP and we know that. That’s what we want to be, first and forefront, making sure our networks are state-of-the-art and the best you can get in all our communities on the IP side. Two, we had to protect our back yards. A lot of good people put a lot of good work to build these operations and do the right thing by our customers; and [the right thing] was to give them state-of-the-art services, especially on the Internet side.

UBB2020: This is a big investment. What was the impetus behind this decision?

PK: We work hard to run a smart operation. — smart economically, good service; we pride ourselves on being local, compared to the AT&Ts and other companies. Everything is done locally, all the decisions are made locally here, but the decision was an expensive one — to go DOCSIS 3.1 or GPON fiber-to-the-home — but we’re doing a mix of both. We know we have to build out fiber as time goes on in all our networks, but the whole goal was to treat our customers right and protect that backyard, and make sure we could bring 1-gig services on the Internet side to all our customers.

UBB2020: What is the timeframe?

PK: We’ve deployed it in a good chunk of our operations now, and we have more turn-ons as the months progress. The one big turn-on we have coming up will be done in early July, and that’ll be done in Oxford [Mississippi]. It’s where Old Miss is, the big university, and that’s one of our bigger towns. We’ll be 100% turned on in Oxford by early, early July. That’s in time for the school season, when the kids come in for classes in August.

And then we’ll start deploying 1 gig throughout the rest of our systems, and those are the most rural areas, over the coming months. We’ve already started in some areas, deploying 1 gig. The whole goal is to get this rolled out during 2017 and 2018 to make sure 100% of our people have 1 gig.

UBB2020: What impact does ultra-broadband have on your ability to drive new revenue and services?

PK: Increasing our fiber and infrastructure has helped us on the business side. Traditionally, especially, small organizations or rural cable organizations or broadband organizations have not done much with businesses. That’s primarily because, in the old days, cable operations were built in the residential communities and we would avoid Main Street, primarily because they weren’t going to buy our residential services. It was tougher to put cable down main streets. As we expand, we are attacking the main streets. We’re bringing fiber down the main streets or the business streets, and the industrial parks.

By running fiber to all these communities and hooking them up via fiber, we are able to bring Internet, phone and other services they’d never have gotten because they were just too small so we turned a small community into a big network. With that, we also expanded our fiber to go into business areas. Now that business side or commercial side is growing dramatically since we’ve been here. We’re seeing almost 200% growth on the commercial side. We were small before but we have a large force of commercial salespeople out there working, so that’s a big revenue source. The other thing I should mention is that since we’ve been here — and we’ve only been here about two and a half years — we’ve grown our high-speed Internet product by about 40% and we’ve grown our voice product by close to 100%. It shows that, yes, it is a big expensive investment but our customers or potential customers see us as the provider of choice, primarily because we are investing in that infrastructure. We’re growing residentially and we’re growing commercially.

UBB2020: And you’re opening up brand new markets too, right?

PK: Because we are growing commercially, we have a pretty vast fiber network we can use as transport for other companies. We have some companies looking to us to transport from one factory to another or from a hospital to a hospital; you know, IP data. This is stuff this company couldn’t have done four, five, six, 10 years ago because we weren’t in interconnected.

The Block family, BCI, saw we were growing quickly on our Internet and voice services, both in commercial and residential, and this investment – although expensive — was to protect the back-end we already have, because competition is heavy, but also to expand into parts of the business to have deeper penetration of our services than ever before. And it’s paid off. I don’t think many companies grew 40% on their Internet product over the past two years and I doubt many companies on the voice side have grown by almost 100%.

UBB2020: Was there a big investment in training for this deployment?

PK: On the technical side, yes, it’s changed. Through training and hard work, our people have had to learn how to install the 1-gig product, handle fiber to the home, which has some significant differences — although at the end of the day, it’s still delivering a signal. There’s been a lot of training and a lot of education of our technical people to support this and additional staff.
UBB2020: What is the competitive landscape? PK: AT&T is our main competition in most of our markets. There are some local co-ops that have reached out and gotten government funding, free funding, to enhance their networks and are working to build them to 1-gig as well, so they can be competitive. And of course C-Spire, a solid company that’s been one of the key cell phone operators that’s been trying to get into the broadband business in some of the areas and have done a good job on the commercial side. That’s made it one of the most competitive markets that we’ve worked in.

MaxxSouth Broadband Expands 1 Gigabit Internet Service in Oxford

OXFORD, Miss. (April 24, 2017)— MaxxSouth Broadband leaps into the future with a brand new DOCSIS 3.1 technology upgrade in Oxford. Combined with existing fiber-to-the-home technology that was launched last year, the company will soon offer all Oxford residents access to 1 Gigabit Internet speeds.

“DOCSIS 3.1 is the latest in digital communication technologies,” Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband president and CEO said. “The new network will allow for download speeds up to 1 Gigabit in all communities within Oxford. These speeds are dramatically faster than the average speed of Internet connection in the United States.”

1 Gigabit Internet speeds represent a download capability of 1,000 Megabits. With a 1 Gigabit connection, a customer can download a two-hour HD movie in about 25 seconds. The same movie would take 32 minutes to download on a standard 20 Megabit Internet connection.

“Most of our customers in Oxford have Internet speeds of about 60 Megabits per second,” Kahelin said. “The DOCSIS 3.1, along with our current fiber-to-the home technology, will allow us to offer speeds that are up to 16 times faster than the average connection in the city. Higher speeds will benefit students, businesses and residential communities alike.”

The deployment of the new MaxxSouth Broadband DOCSIS 3.1 technology will begin early summer of this year, with all Oxford communities having access to the service by the end of July. Kahelin added that all University of Mississippi students will be able to enjoy the new 1 Gigabit Internet speeds upon their return for the fall semester.

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 61 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 85,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Broadband contributes $565,000 to Mississippi State University Libraries

STARKVILLE, Miss. (March 27, 2017)— MaxxSouth Broadband increased its support to Mississippi State University (MSU) by committing an additional $565,000 in monetary contributions to the school’s library Digital Media Center and Rare Books Collection.

Earlier this month, MaxxSouth made its first payment of $440,000 towards the library’s Digital Media Center fund. As a show of appreciation for the recent donation agreement, the Mitchell Memorial Library will name the new center the MaxxSouth Broadband Digital Media Center.

“It is an honor to have MaxxSouth’s name on MSU’s new Digital Media Center,” said Peter Kahelin, president and CEO of MaxxSouth Broadband. “We are always thrilled to help promote and expand interactive academia in our communities; the donation will benefit not only current, but future MSU students and generations to come.”

The new Digital Media Center will be triple the size of the previous one. The center will be filled with new and enhanced features, such as a high-end television production studio—the studio will partner with MSU’s broadcast communications department— and a “One Button Studio,” or audio recording booth. It will also gain a makerspace, where tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters and other technological devices will be available for general use.

“These enhancements will provide additional services that will improve the teaching, learning and research opportunities for our students and faculty,” said Stephen Cunetto, associate dean of University Libraries at MSU. “These services can and will be used by most disciplines and will become the place for creating, teaching and learning the latest digital tools and technologies. Students will be able to record a presentation or interview in our easy-to-use One Button Studio, or do prototyping with the 3D printers in our new makerspace.”

In addition to the contributions made toward the newly named MaxxSouth Broadband Digital Media Center, the company joined with Mr. John Robinson Block, Vice Chairman of Block Communications, Inc., parent company to MaxxSouth, to donate $125,000 to the MaxxSouth Broadband and John Robinson Block Special Collections Excellence Fund at the Mississippi State University Library. Their combined efforts make this fund possible.

The funds will be used to acquire, maintain, display and make available the rare books and manuscripts in the special collections department in the MSU library.

“MSU is an incredible university providing great resources for the students in our community,” said Kahelin. “We are proud to contribute in any way towards the education of these bright young minds.”

MaxxSouth has been a longtime supporter and contributor to MSU and MSU Libraries. In 2016, they entered into a support agreement with the libraries valued at $750,000, in addition to an earlier donation of a rare and valuable Mississippi law books collection.

The company will be recognized at the Dean W. Colvard Founders level within the Legacy of Leadership program, which is the major giving society for MSU. The Colvard Founders recognizes lifetime donors who donate $1,000,000 to $4,999,999 in support of the university.

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 61 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 85,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Broadband Launches Expansion of its 1 Gigabit Internet Technology to Starkville’s Surrounding Areas

STARKVILLE, Miss. (March 13, 2017)— MaxxSouth Broadband announced over the weekend the ongoing expansion of its broadband services to provide up to 1 Gigabit internet technology to Starkville’s surrounding areas. This latest upgrade, scheduled to launch first in the Highlands Plantation community east of Starkville, will be completed in early spring of this year.

“MaxxSouth Broadband is committed to invest in technologies that enhance the quality of life in the communities we live in,” said MaxxSouth Broadband President and CEO, Peter Kahelin. “Our goal is to continue to provide internet speeds that are vastly faster than the average speed of connection in the United States, as well as diverse and exciting video content and affordable telephony services.”

Kahelin went on to describe that the average 20 Megabit internet speeds would take 32 minutes to download a two-hour HD movie; however, with 1 Gigabit internet speeds that same download would take about 25 seconds.

“These ongoing network upgrades come as an expansion of our current Gigabit services in the city of Starkville,” Kahelin stated. “Improved speeds will tremendously benefit students, businesses and residents in the county areas.”

Highlands Plantation is a planned residential student community consisting of over 225 rental properties in 600 acres of land, located less than 2 miles from the east entrance to Mississippi State University.

“Not only are we committed to extending this 1 Gigabit network to new areas surrounding Starkville, but also we will continue our expansion of these advanced internet, video and telephony services into other communities throughout central and northern Mississippi. Upgrades will be made later this year and into the future,” said Kahelin. “We are excited about the enhanced triple-play services we currently offer, but we are looking to ultimately grant access to the newest technologies to everyone in the 61 municipalities that comprise our coverage area.”

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 61 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 85,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Broadband Reaches over $990,000 in Community Contributions

Oxford, Miss. (January 9, 2017)—MaxxSouth Broadband’s total commitment in sponsorships, advertisements, support and charitable contributions to Mississippi communities over the past 12 months has reached a value of $991,631.48.

The telecommunications company works closely with numerous non-profit and community organizations to determine their specific needs and potential opportunities to contribute. MaxxSouth aims to serve and advance the community its employees live and work in.

“Our employees, myself included, are members of the communities we serve in,” said Peter Kahelin, President and CEO of MaxxSouth Broadband. “We’re strongly driven to give back to the communities we call home. MaxxSouth is committed to continually finding opportunities to serve our family, friends, and neighbors.”

MaxxSouth was especially involved this past year with Mississippi State University (MSU). In February, the company offered a donation of rare and valuable Mississippi law books to MSU libraries, and in April, MaxxSouth entered into a $750,000 support agreement with the university.

A unique event for 2016 was the Amory Railroad Festival featuring MaxxSouth’s American Idol Season Finale Viewing Party to support the Amory-native contestant, Trent Harmon. The viewing party, along with the two MSU donations, made up three of MaxxSouth’s largest contributions this year.

Other events that benefited from MaxxSouth’s sponsorships and in-kind advertising this year included the Pickwick Lake Catch-A-Dream Bass Classic, Carthage Oktoberfest, the Oxford EDF Golf Classic, the Tallahatchie Riverfest, the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show, the Holiday Marketplace, the Comic and Toy Show and many more. Many of these events gave a portion of their earnings to charities and local non-profits.

MaxxSouth has also made donations and gave complimentary broadband services to organizations throughout Mississippi. Newton County’s three public libraries received Internet services from MaxxSouth this summer, and monetary contributions were given to Neshoba County Allies for Education, Starkville Saints Youth Football League, the Oxford High Science Olympiad Team and more.

“We are excited to connect with our local communities even more in 2017,” added Kahelin, President and CEO of MaxxSouth Broadband. “We love being part of a strong community and take pride in helping it flourish in any way we can.”

To find out more about MaxxSouth’s local contributions, visit their Community First website at http://CommunityFirst.MaxxSouth.com

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 84,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Opens Sixth New Retail Center in Mississippi This Year

New Albany, Miss. (December 19, 2016)— MaxxSouth Broadband is opening a new retail center in New Albany, Mississippi today; this is the sixth new center opened in Mississippi this year.

“Our efforts are focused on improving the customer experience,” said Peter Kahelin, CEO at  MaxxSouth Broadband. “This new location, along with many of the others we have opened  recently, will bring us face-to-face with the local customer base.”

The New Albany center will be located at 312 Park Plaza Drive, by the Walmart. In the past few months, MaxxSouth opened five other new retail centers in Amory, Philadelphia, Houston, Louisville and Forest.

By the first quarter of 2017, MaxxSouth will expand their presence to Red Bay, Alabama with a brand new retail center. This will not only be the first retail center in the Red Bay area, but also the first retail center in Alabama. Around this time, MaxxSouth is also planning to open a brand new, larger retail center in Oxford, just off Jackson Avenue W.

“These retail centers will allow current and potential customers to experience MaxxSouth services firsthand,” said Karen Mowery, local Director of Customer Care. “With our own state-of-the-art experience” table, customers can try out our high-speed Internet services on laptops and iPads or test our unlimited digital phone services. They can also enjoy our HDTV services while waiting to be serviced.”

MaxxSouth Broadband has doubled its employees in the past two years, allowing for a greater focus on improvements in customer service and experience. The telecommunications company is making statewide efforts to improve the customer experience by making major improvements and renovations in existing retail centers in addition to the new offices.

“We have completely remodeled the inside of current offices to give customers the full high-tech experience that MaxxSouth offers,” Mowery said. “With these new improvements and expansions into new locations, we can increase our presence in these communities and provide better services to each of our customers.”

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband’s service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 83,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com.

MaxxSouth Broadband receives “Best of Oxford—Readers’ Choice” Award

Oxford, MS (July 8, 2016) – The Oxford Eagle has recognized MaxxSouth Broadband as “Best of Oxford—Readers’ Choice” for June 2016.

A telecommunications company, MaxxSouth Broadband services digital phone, high-speed Internet and video for 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama.

“It really is an honor to receive such a recognition,” said Evan Ricks, Public Relations Coordinator for MaxxSouth. “We are proud to service our communities in the best way possible!”

The recognition highlights the hard work MaxxSouth has put into building the best options for video, Internet and telephone services in the Oxford area, Ricks added.

“The dedication of the team at MaxxSouth has truly paid off for our customers,” Ricks said. “MaxxSouth consistently strives to provide the best possible services in our communities.”

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 80,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com.

Ribbon Cutting Held for New MaxxSouth Office Opening in Philadelphia

MaxxSouth Broadband proudly unveiled a newer, sleeker, and more modern Philadelphia office on Tuesday, April 19th. MaxxSouth staff, local officials, chamber personnel, and local business owners all gathered to officially open and tour the new location. Some features of this new facility, located at 110 Canal Place, include a modern lounge area, dual large screen HD televisions, and an iPad, laptop, and phone display for customers to sample all of MaxxSouth Broadband’s services.

“One of the things MaxxSouth prides itself in is community involvement,” Tonya Thompson, MaxxSouth’s General Manager for the region, said at the event. “Part of that involvement includes making the company more visible, and this is just one way in which to do that.”

MaxxSouth invites everyone to stop by and check out the new location for themselves!

MaxxSouth Broadband Announces Six-figure Support Agreement with Mississippi State University

Starkville, MS (April 13, 2016) – MaxxSouth Broadband — a provider of high-speed Internet, cable
TV and phone services in northern Mississippi – has committed gift-in kind support to the
Mississippi State University Foundation valued at $750,000 as part of the company’s continued
commitment to higher education in the region.

As part of the support agreement, MaxxSouth Broadband will provide advertising and other
services to MSU Libraries and to a variety of other programs at the university over a three-year
period. This support will provide for a positive impact not only to the students enrolled at MSU,
but to the Mississippi community in general that benefit from the various programs that MSU
and MSU Libraries provide to local residents.

“Universities play such an important role in society, so we feel it is our duty to give back,” said
Peter Kahelin, President and CEO of MaxxSouth Broadband. “The purpose of our support to the
Mississippi State University Foundation is to maintain and enhance the academic excellence for
which this fine institution is known for, and the benefits they bring to the Mississippi
community as a whole.”

The impetus for the latest gift was the generous February donation of a major collection of
rare, early Mississippi law books to the MSU Libraries Special Collections Department by John
Robinson Block, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade,
which, like MaxxSouth, are subsidiaries of Block Communications.

That donation, which means the most extensive collection of Mississippi Territory imprints
published prior to 1817 are now housed at Mississippi State University, opened the door to
further conversations about MaxxSouth support.

“MaxxSouth and Block Communications, Inc., with their generous contributions, have
demonstrated just how invested they are in the communities in which they operate,” said
Frances Coleman, Dean of Libraries at MSU. “This helps promote our vision of delivering
excellent programs of teaching, research and service.”

As a result, MaxxSouth Broadband will be recognized as a donor into the MSU Foundation’s
Stephen D. Lee Society level within the prestigious Legacy of Leadership.

“It is truly wonderful to see how our relationship has blossomed with MaxxSouth Broadband,”
said Asya Cooley, Director of Development for the MSU Foundation. “This company is a
significant contributor and conscientious steward of our learning environment.”

Through its Community First program, MaxxSouth Broadband has already contributed
thousands of dollars to the areas it services, delivering on the company’s mission to give back
and support its communities in ways that enhance their quality of life.

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 80,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Broadband Announces Significant Service Enhancements for Mississippi Communities of Forest and Morton

Forest, MS (February 23rd, 2016) – After more than a year of completing infrastructure improvements, MaxxSouth Broadband is ready to unveil major enhancements to the high-speed Internet and Video services available to residents in the Mississippi communities of Forest and Morton.

“This is more than just an upgrade; this is a game changer for our valued customers in Forest and Morton,” said Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband’s President and CEO. “These developments will completely transform how residents interact with their Internet and TV services.”

In the coming months, customers will experience an influx of interactive video options and a dramatic increase in Internet download speed. The improvements come as MaxxSouth Broadband completes the process of interconnecting the two cities to the company’s main network via state-of-the-art fiber-optic transmission lines.

“We’re committed to continually investing in our network and in the communities we serve,” Kahelin said. “The overhaul of the data network and expansion of video services highlight how MaxxSouth Broadband delivers on that promise.”

The enhanced system will provide current and future customers in Forest and Morton with a fully digital video platform, more than 50 of the most popular HD channels, 20 recently added channels, free access to Video-on-Demand, and the ability to pause and record live TV using a Digital Video Recorder, or DVR.

“Forest and Morton will now be interconnected with 57 of our other service communities,” said Tommy Taylor, MaxxSouth’s Vice President of Technical and Network Operations. “This provides our system with incredible reliability, failsafe redundancy and increased quality.”

In terms of improved Internet service, most customers can expect their download speeds to accelerate by at least double, with even higher internet speed packages being launched in the future. In addition, residential Internet service customers will be provided free access to the online streaming sports network ESPN 3.

Customers can expect to see these improved offerings come online this spring, when the final stages of the interconnection project are completed. MaxxSouth is providing the extra channels, quicker download speeds and enhanced video services at no additional cost.

Around the same time, customers will have access to a new, modernized MaxxSouth Broadband Customer Service Center, which will open its doors in Forest. This center will provide in-person customer support and serve the needs of both Forest residents and the surrounding communities.

“The brand new customer center will help us offer world-class service to our customers in and around Forest,” said Tonya Thompson, Regional General Manager for MaxxSouth. “Our dedicated service representatives have always been 100-percent local, and it’s easy to prove that with attentive, person-to-person interactions.”

As an industry leader, MaxxSouth Broadband also seeks opportunities to support and improve the quality of life of its customers and employees. In the past 12 months, the company worked closely with numerous non-profit organizations to facilitate sponsorships and other charitable contributions. During this period, MaxxSouth’s total committed support has been over $200,000.

“We, at MaxxSouth, are very excited about these upcoming enhancements to the services we offer to our valued communities of Forest and Morton,” added Kahelin. “In the not-too-distant future, we will also launch telephony services in these markets as we continue to enhance our products and services even further.”

About MaxxSouth Broadband:

MaxxSouth Broadband service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 80,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

MaxxSouth Broadband Donates Valuable Collection of Rare Books of Early Mississippi Laws to MSU Libraries

Starkville, MS (January 28th, 2016) – MaxxSouth Broadband, a provider of high-speed Internet, cable TV and phone services in northern Mississippi is donating, on February 5th, a major collection of rare, early Mississippi law books to the Mississippi State University Libraries’ Special Collections Department.

The collection comprises 59 publications that are finely bound in 45 volumes—making it the largest known number of rare Mississippi Territorial imprints published prior to 1817. Mississippi State Libraries will officially welcome the collection with a reception on Friday, February 5th that will include university administrators along with local and state government officials.

The donation was assembled from the private library of John Robinson Block, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade.  The Blade and Post-Gazette, like MaxxSouth, are subsidiaries of Block Communications. As a lifelong newspaperman and grandson of Block Communication’s founder, Mr. Block is committed to preserving print culture in today’s digital age.

“It’s been a privilege to form this partnership with Mississippi State University,” Mr. Block said. “I’m pleased that this important collection will have a new home where it can benefit the community and be available for future generations.”

Over the course of more than thirty years, Mr. Block has assembled an extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts relating to early American legal history and its British precedents. In fact, his compilation of early Mississippi laws rivals the combined holdings of the Mississippi State Law Library and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

“Curating these books and documents has been a very personal endeavor and I’m grateful to find the same devotion in MSU Dean of Libraries’ Dean Frances Coleman and Special Collections Rare Book Coordinator Fred Smith,” Block said. “This is a gift to the residents of Mississippi and serves as a way to respect the area’s rich history.”

With a 114-year history, Block Communications and its board members believe strongly in the responsibility of media companies to be socially invested in the communities where they operate. That guiding value now continues with MaxxSouth Broadband’s presence in Mississippi.

“In my nearly four decades of working in the communications industry, I have never experienced a better corporate citizen than Block Communications,” said Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband’s President and CEO. “We are honored to be a part of the Block Communications family and its dedication to giving back to our communities.”

MaxxSouth and Block Communications are confident they’ve found the perfect home for the books at the Mississippi State University Libraries. The Special Collections Department holds one of the country’s most important collections of rare “Mississippiana,” to which MaxxSouth hopes the early Mississippi law collection will be a favorable addition.

“This exceptional academic library department provides the highest standards of organization, security, and preservation for its vast collection of rare books and manuscripts,” Mr. Block said. “We appreciate that the materials are actively used and made available to students, faculty, and the wider research community.”

The ultimate hope of Mr. Block and MaxxSouth is that these laws—in their non-electronic, material form—will provide ongoing opportunities for the Mississippi State Libraries to engage students and other audiences in the history of government, law, and printing in the state of Mississippi in ways that only the original printed materials can provide.

Mr. Block’s donated collection of 19th-century Mississippi territorial and state session laws was printed between 1801 and 1898, and includes:

• The scarce first publication of the laws of Mississippi Territory (printed in Washington, D.C., in 1801).

The largest and most significant known collection of session laws from the Mississippi Territory (all printed at Natchez between 1805 and 1815), of which seven are the only known complete examples, and all are excessively rare. This group of Mississippi imprints provides an excellent overview of the work of the pioneer printers of the region, including one example by the “proto-printer” of the territory, Andrew Marschalk, who would be later appointed the first state printer of Mississippi.

• The first digest of the laws of the Mississippi territory, published in 1808, compiled by Judge Harry Toulmin, who had earlier performed the same task for the state of Kentucky. The work prints the only appearance of the acts of the first session of the fourth general assembly. The contents include the territorial constitution, and, as the title page states, “the ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States north-west of the River Ohio… such acts of Congress as relate to the Mississippi Territory, to land titles within the same, to crimes and misdemeanors, and the intercourse with the Indian nations, together with the articles of agreement and cession between the United States and the state of Georgia.”

• State session laws from 1818 to 1859, showing the development of the legal system from a context of early frontier conditions to a highly regulated plantation-dominated society, with detailed slave codes, and increasing isolation from the growing industrial power of the North.

• Five Civil War Era imprints published between 1861 and 1865.

• Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era laws through 1898.

About MaxxSouth Broadband:
MaxxSouth Broadband service area for video, high-speed Internet and digital phone stretches more than 200 miles and includes 20 counties and 60 communities in northern Mississippi and Alabama. The company currently has approximately 80,000 subscribers for broadband services and passes 110,000 homes. Operating as a subsidiary of the reputable and diversified media holding company Block Communications Inc., MaxxSouth Broadband continues to expand and enhance its state-of-the-art broadband network in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.MaxxSouth.com

BCI buys Mississippi cable provider

System is second major acquisition in month for Toledo-based company

Block Communications Inc. announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement to acquire MetroCast Mississippi, a cable system that provides cable television, telephone, and Internet services to more than 45,000 residential and business customers in 71 communities in 16 counties of Mississippi.

The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, is subject to franchise transfer approval. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

It marks the second major acquisition this month by Block Communications, which has headquarters in Toledo. Last week, the diversified media holding company acquired Line Systems Inc., a suburban Philadelphia business communications provider.

MetroCast Mississippi is a subsidiary of Harron Communications LP of Frazer, Pa., a cable television operator that operates systems in nine states. MetroCast Mississippi will become a subsidiary of Block Communications, which also owns The Blade and Buckeye CableSystem, which provides services in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

Allan Block, chairman of Block Communications, said the Mississippi cable franchise is a modern cable system that is interconnected, will be entirely digital by year’s end, and provides the three modern cable-based services demanded by consumers — cable, phone, and Internet. MetroCast also has an excellent reputation among its customers, he added.

The purchase represents a “geographic diversification and a rural diversification” for Block Communications. “There is multiple growth potential. I am optimistic this will be a good opportunity for the company for the future,” Mr. Block said.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have another family-owned, customer-oriented company who has enjoyed a long history in the communications industry like Block Communications acquire our Mississippi systems,” said James J. Bruder, Jr., chairman and CEO of Harron Communications.

MetroCast Mississippi serves customers over a 200-mile territory, including the university cities of Oxford, home to the University of Mississippi, and Starkville, home to Mississippi State University. It also serves the hometown of Oprah Winfrey, who is from Kosciusko, Miss. The service area also includes the county seats of Carthage, Holly Springs, Kosciusko, Philadelphia, Booneville, Raleigh, Iuka, Louisville, Houston, Decatur, Pontotoc, Forest, and New Albany. Its reach even extends over the state line to small towns such as Red Bay, Ala.

As of March 31, 2014, MetroCast’s area encompasses more than 100,000 residences and has 61,000 primary service units. Primary service units include video, high-speed data, and residential telephone customers. Some customers receive all three services.

The acquisition is not the first business investment in the South for the Block family, owners of Block Communications.

In 1921, Mr. Block’s grandfather, Paul Block, purchased the Memphis News-Scimitar newspaper. The Tennessee newspaper’s coverage area extended into Mississippi.

In May, 1925, the News-Scimitar covered the exploits of Tom Lee, a 39-year-old black man who used his small wooden skiff to save 32 passengers from a capsized riverboat on the Mississippi River. Paul Block led a successful effort to have Mr. Lee invited to the White House to receive an award from President Calvin Coolidge.

Mr. Block sold the newspaper in 1926.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.