FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2015
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SKITTER TV SERVICES LAUNCHED AT GRM NETWORKS
IPTV SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 19 COMMUNITIES IN MISSOURI AND IOWA
Atlanta, GA – Skitter Cable TV, Inc. and its affiliated company, Galva Cable Company, L.L.C.,
announced today that “Skitter TV” Internet protocol television (IPTV) has been launched to serve
the subscribers of Grand River Mutual Telephone (d/b/a GRM Networks), a leading provider of
Internet and phone services in the Midwest.
Initially, the Skitter TV service will launch in Lorimor, Murray, Leon and Corydon, Iowa;
and New Hampton, Bethany and Princeton, Missouri. Additional launches will reach nearly all
of the homes covered by GRM Networks’ broadband footprint in Northern Missouri and
Southern Iowa.
Ron Hinds, General Manager of GRM Networks, said, “After a long and comprehensive
search for the best way to offer television service in our markets, we determined that Skitter TV
was, without question, the way to go. The quality of the video, Skitter’s advanced IPTV
technology and the very favorable economics that Skitter offers were head and shoulders above
the competition.”
Skitter TV President & CEO Robert Saunders said, “We are simply ecstatic to have this
opportunity to add GRM Networks to our growing list of Skitter TV members. GRM Networks is
one of the leading telcos and broadband providers in rural America, and we at Skitter are greatly
honored to have been selected for provision of IPTV services in its markets.”
Skitter TV, delivered over its members’ fiber and copper phone lines, brings a television
viewing experience that is different than anything customers in those markets have seen before.
Using the latest in IPTV technology and offering viewers packages of off-air broadcast and cable
television channels in both standard and high definition formats, the Skitter TV service offers the
most popular cable TV channels while keeping subscriber costs at a minimum. The system also
features whole-home digital video recording and on-screen caller ID.
“We provide rural telephone companies with a very low cost, high quality IPTV system,
offering subscribers the channels they really want in SD and HD at lowest possible prices,” said
Saunders. He added that Skitter TV provides a complete end-to-end service for all its member
systems by providing and installing the technology, securing the programming rights, marketing
and helping ensure the ongoing success of the system.
Hinds added, “Skitter TV launched on our system a couple of weeks ago and it is
experiencing rapid acceptance in the market. The economic model that Skitter TV offers gave
GRM Networks the video service we needed without the high cost and headaches. Skitter TV is
giving our customers a very affordable, very high quality TV option with local content. Working
with Skitter TV, we’re able to offer our subscribers a great triple play of voice, data and, now,
video.”
Noting that Skitter TV’s proprietary variable bit-rate technology is another feature that is
attractive to rural telcos, Hinds said, “Skitter can deliver HD video to far more of system
subscribers, even subscribers fed with copper loops. The system will be able to reach most of our
subscriber base, making the entire model very cost effective.”
ABOUT SKITTER TV
Skitter TV has been a leading provider of IPTV technology since 2009. Skitter TV and its
sister company, Galva Cable, build and operate IPTV systems on the premises of small- and
medium-sized telephone companies. Skitter TV offers the latest advanced IPTV features and
stunning picture quality at significantly lower costs, both in terms of upfront capital and
operating expenses, as well as lower cost subscriber video packages.
ABOUT GRM NETWORKS
GRM Networks is a member owned cooperative that provides communication services to
customers located within a 6,000 square mile radius that covers 48 exchanges in Northern
Missouri and Southern Iowa. GRM Networks is dedicated to delivering reliable, advanced
communications technology while providing an exceptional customer experience. GRM
Networks is committed to promoting and investing in its local communities. LTC Networks &
SCC Networks are subsidiaries of GRM Networks. For more information about GRM Networks,
visit www.grm.net.
For additional information, please contact:
Skitter TV: Robert Saunders, CEO, 678-894-8807