In most applications, we will bring fiber optic facilities to the customer premises in order to deliver broadband services. In some instances, we use wireless links and local telephone company facilities to deliver services.
In addition to our own basic Internet offering, Sho-Me Technologies has access to several ISPs and can deliver high-speed connections via fiber optic cable.
Our Network Operations Center (NOC) is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with trained technicians ready to answer your call and begin troubleshooting.
Sho-Me Power has been in the telecommunications business for over 50 years! Prior to our fiber optic network, we operated a microwave system that communicated with our substations and other electric cooperatives in the state. After the implementation of PCS mobile phones, we were forced to vacate the frequency we were using for our microwave radios. It was decided to use fiber optic technology for our internal network instead of changing to a different microwave frequency.
The board of directors at Sho-Me Power had a vision to not only provide a robust communication network for our internal needs, but to also offer the same high quality, high bandwidth technology to the members we serve in rural Missouri. The network we operate for our own needs has to be extremely resilient in order to provide the mission-critical services we require in order to keep the lights on. Our board felt that other businesses in our service area could benefit from the same high quality communications.
We have many different businesses using our network. The five primary industry verticals we serve are Education, Healthcare, Government, Banking and Cellular/Telecom carriers.
That is a great question! Many businesses have been able to remain in the rural location where they started without having to move to a larger community in order to get the broadband services they need in order to compete or even stay in business. Others have been able to move from congested urban areas to rural communities where there is a plentiful workforce and a higher quality of life. By utilizing high bandwidth services from Sho-Me Technologies, these companies have been able to relocate to rural Missouri while maintaining their operation as if they were in a metropolitan area. Call centers are a great example. We work with several in rural areas in Missouri.
As our customer base grew and requested services outside of our power system, we started looking for ways to move beyond the borders of our electric grid. By working with other electric cooperatives, telecom carriers and municipalities in the state, we have moved well beyond our initial footprint.