Telecom Makes New Roads In Northwestern Counties

Most Internet service providers in Northwest Arkansas either stayed flat or had a decrease in their number of employees during 2008. Of the nine small businesses providing Internet services, there was a total reduction of seven employees, or about 5 percent, to 136.

(You can view the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s annual lists of the area’s largest ISPs, telecoms and computer dealers by clicking on either of the corresponding links.)

One firm that had a slight increase in employment was Vantage Telecom LLC of Fort Smith, which does business as Newroads Telecom.

President Bill Stuckey said the company had added the net of one new employee because he now has two working in Benton and Washington counties. The company is actively working for new business in the two-county market, having added about 60 clients, Stuckey said.

Newroads primarily targets small to mid-size businesses for Internet and telephone services. T1 bundles and IP phones with unlimited long distance are becoming the company’s competitive advantage, he said.

The company is also a local exchange carrier and Stuckey’s revenue increased by 5 percent from 2006 to 2007, though the total number of lines was down.

Newroads reported revenue of $1.71 million for its carrier business to the Arkansas Public Service Commission at year-end 2007. That was up from $1.62 million in 2006.

The Business Journal erroneously reported Newroads had $4.71 million in revenue for 2006. That number reflected the company’s total business including Internet and networking business, Stuckey said.