FirstLight Fiber's Internet Service Boosts Connectivity and Learning Environment for Laconia School District

Solution Provides Reliable, E-Rate Eligible Internet for Students and Faculty


ALBANY, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 8, 2016) - FirstLight Fiber, a facilities-based telecommunications service provider operating in New York and Northern New England, announced today that Laconia School District in New Hampshire, has selected FirstLight's high-speed, fiber-based telecommunications services. FirstLight will provide Internet to the entire school district, which consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a regional technical center. FirstLight will also provide voice services to most of the facilities located in the school district.

Eligible for federal discounts for Internet and phone services, the Laconia School District sought a local vendor offering scalable, high-speed, fiber-based Internet at competitive pricing. Upon reviewing many vendor proposals, Laconia School District's Network Manager, Jeffrey Twombly, ultimately selected FirstLight.

"Each day, our schools require more and more bandwidth, and we needed a network solution that could keep pace. FirstLight stood out among all of the potential vendors we reviewed for enabling the bandwidth expansions that we will inevitably need down the road, while also offering the high quality, localized customer service and support we need today," stated Twombly. "We serve approximately 2,000 students and part of ensuring their educational success is having reliable, high speed Internet from a provider upon whom we can rely and trust."

"We are proud to support the networking needs of Laconia School District," commented Kurt Van Wagenen, President and CEO of FirstLight. "The amount of bandwidth required to allow students and faculty to seamlessly access the latest technologies and applications such as video streaming, online courses, webinars, etc. is not always easy for school districts to ascertain. FirstLight's team of experts is available to guide schools through both the E-Rate process and to design the solution best suited to support their bandwidth needs."

FirstLight provides a comprehensive portfolio of secure, scalable telecommunications solutions and knowledgeable staff experienced in working with K-12 districts and libraries to support advanced voice/VoIP, multicast, video and distance learning applications for single and multi-site institutions. Learn more at https://www.firstlight.net/solutions/business-solutions/e-rate-k-12-education/.

About FirstLight Fiber

FirstLight Fiber headquartered in Albany, NY, provides fiber optic data, Internet, data center and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers in New York and Northern New England with connectivity to Canada connecting in excess of 1,800 locations in service with an additional 14,000 locations serviceable by our 260,000 fiber mile network. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications products, including dedicated Internet access, Ethernet, data center services, dark fiber and voice services including SIP trunks, virtual PBX, and traditional TDM solutions. FirstLight's clientele includes national cellular providers and CLECs and many leading enterprises, spanning high tech manufacturing and research, hospitals and healthcare, banking and financial, secondary education, colleges and universities, and local and state governments. FirstLight is a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Riverside Partners

To learn more about FirstLight, visit www.firstlight.net, or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Laconia School District

Laconia School District located in Laconia NH has three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a regional technical center, serving approximately 2,000 local students.

Contact Information:

Media Contact:
Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)
1-866-695-3629 ext. 6