Midlands Business Profiles
Midlands Profiles
Spirit Telecom
Understanding the complex world of the telecommunications industry isn't easy. Technology changes rapidly, companies split and merge and nothing seems to stay stable, consistent – except Columbia-headquartered Spirit Telecom. Spirit is owned by the independent telephone companies and cooperatives of South Carolina, many of which have served South Carolina's business community for upwards of 60 years.
"I think the average experience of our companies is between 68 and 69 years," said Grey Humphrey, Spirit Telecom COO. "We even have one that goes back to 1896.
"That institutional knowledge has proven to be a tremendous asset over the years in a constantly evolving marketplace. In any business, experience is key, and it has helped us maintain many relationships over the years."
Having recently expanded into Charlotte, Humphrey said what sets Spirit Telecom apart is its versatility. "We're a full-service provider in every sense," Humphrey said. "Plus, we're in the wholesale market for long-distance and Internet service.
"We have excellent commercial and government contracts, including the South Carolina Army National Guard. What they like is our professionalism, our service and our technical support.
"If a customer calls in with a problem, we have call centers here in Columbia and Rock Hill that are 24/7 and can respond promptly. You're not calling someone a few states — or countries, away."
The range of Spirit Telecom's cutting-edge services is impressive. Spirit maintains a private, secure data network. Besides complete voice, data, Internet and networking capabilities, Spirit Telecom provides SS7 and advanced intelligent network services; ether loop networks through FlexNet Access that provide up to full duplex gigabit speeds; and SpiritPhone, a state-of-the art voice service based on Voice over Internet Protocol.
"Our ether loop FlexNet connections through our MPLS-based network and SpiritPhone are state-of-the-art," Humphrey said. "They allow access methods to data networks that can be suited directly to fit the customer's needs. For example, one location can be using DSL, another can be using a frame relay circuit and another can be using an ATM circuit. You don't have to have one flavor suits all."
Representing many companies scattered across the state means Spirit Telecom has more switches in more places than its competition. "We have one of the most diverse, robust networks in the state," Humphrey said. "We have locations in territories no one else does."
With more than 150 employees, Spirit Telecom is among the top 100 privately held companies in South Carolina. It got that way by being flexible and responsive to the market and to customers' needs. Among the customer-specific services provided by Spirit Telecom are virtually everything a business could want from its telecommunications provider: trend analysis, network expansion, frame relay, IP addressing, network design and security, project management and full Internet and web services.
"In a market that has undergone a lot of change recently, we've been growing consistently," Humphrey said. "To continue to do that, our focus will always be on quality, on solutions and on the best local service possible."
