Greensboro, NC October 10, 2018 — Synergem Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of Next Generation 9-1-1 solutions, today announced that it is working with TDS Telecommunications, LLC (TDS Telecom) to support the upgrade of that company’s legacy 9-1-1 network facilities. A master agreement between the two companies was inked last year. The first upgrades are starting to roll out in Michigan and Wisconsin in 2018. The multi-year project will eventually cover all emergency calling services provided by TDS across its subscriber regions.
Synergem and TDS Telecom Team Up for Next Gen 9-1-1 Services
In Upper Michigan, Synergem is delivering 9-1-1 calls into an IP-based network established by the local emergency services jurisdiction for that region. In Wisconsin, Synergem is helping TDS replace its own legacy 9-1-1 network with services designed to meet the NG9-1-1 standard.
The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) developed the NG9-1-1 standard, also known as i3, to use the latest in Voice over IP technology, better supporting the location, text and multimedia services found in today’s smartphones. More than 80% of calls to 9-1-1 now come from smartphones. Therefore, adoption of the i3 standard is crucial for transmitting the information these phones can provide during an emergency.
In 2017 Synergem launched SynergemNET™. This was the first nationwide network designed specifically to follow the i3 standard. It brings benefits to both telecom carriers and PSAP jurisdictions. As a hosted service built around a secure and highly-reliable public safety grade network, SynergemNET™ allows customers to integrate NG9-1-1 elements into their emergency services calling platform. They do so without the investment in software and equipment that would otherwise be required.
CTO’s Words
“As a carrier with subscribers in several states, TDS has to deliver 9-1-1 calls to many different jurisdictions across our territory,” said Ken Paker, SVP and CTO at TDS Telecom. “Each of these jurisdictions is upgrading to NG9-1-1 at their own pace, which would normally mean devoting time and resources for each project. With Synergem, we simply send our 9-1-1 calls to SynergemNET™ and their service ensures the calls meet the new NG9-1-1 standard and get routed appropriately.”
“TDS is taking full advantage of the different capabilities within SynergemNET™,” said Myron Herron, President/CTO of Synergem. “Each NG9-1-1 project has unique requirements, so we’ve designed the service to provide for this flexibility. From simple network interconnection to a complete NG9-1-1 routing solution, customers can deploy SynergemNET™ quickly. Additionally, they can do so with much less investment using our hosted services.”
About Synergem Technologies
Synergem Technologies is the leading provider of NENA i3-based solutions for public safety. The SynergemNET™ suite of hosted services provides a flexible and cost-effective way for telecom carriers, state and local governments and even individual PSAPs to migrate quickly from the legacy environment to a true NG9-1-1 platform. To learn more about why SynergemNET™ is the Fastest Way to True-i3™, please visit www.synergemtech.com.
About TDS Telecom
TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS®) is headquartered in Madison, Wis. The company employs more than 2,600 people nationwide and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS]. TDS Telecom provides more than 1.2 million connections of high-speed internet, phone, and TV entertainment services in nearly 900 rural areas.
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