Socket Internet offers in-depth coverage in the state of Missouri, wholesaling both dialup and DSL.

by Jeff Goldman [February 28, 2007]

Socket Internet was founded in 1994 as a local ISP in Columbia, Missouri. The company quickly expanded, adding services as customers requested them, including broadband access, content filtering and webhosting. In 2002, the company started the transition to CLEC status—and Socket now offers telephone services in over 130 Missouri towns.

According to company marketing manager Stephanie Rosskopf, the greatest strength of Socket's wholesale dialup offering is the depth of its coverage in the state of Missouri. In 2003, Rosskopf says, the company shifted its wholesale focus from an eight-state region to concentrating on Missouri itself.

Socket Internet PO Box 7085 Columbia, MO 65205-7085 Voice: (800) SOCKET-3 E-mail: info@socket.net Wholesale Contact Form

Eric Burkett, Socket's wholesale and acquisitions manager, says the result has been greatly improved coverage throughout the state, with over 345 dialup access points. "We were really able to focus on the state of Missouri, to look at where we didn't have as good coverage, and really build our network out to be able to provide fantastic coverage in all four corners of the state," he says.

Pricing and services
Pricing for wholesale dialup access starts with a $500 setup fee and a $500 monthly minimum—though specific pricing, Burkett says, varies according to the coverage required. "On average, we're somewhere between $5 and $8 per user for wholesaling our services to other ISPs," he says.

Most importantly, Rosskopf says, Socket differentiates itself from larger wholesale providers by being extremely flexible in response to the needs of the ISPs it works with, particularly regarding contract terms. "They can come to us and say, 'This is what I'm needing: can you help me out?'" she says. "And we're able to, on a one-to-one basis, build something for them in terms of a wholesale package."

Burkett says that kind of flexibility also extends to the range of offerings that Socket provides to ISPs. "Beyond just porting a number, we're able to offer so many other services—authentication, and offering terminal services, and all those things that a nationwide provider is probably not even going to consider," he says.

Acquisitions and DSL
In the continuing effort to expand its coverage, Socket is also seeking ISPs to acquire, particularly in Missouri—though Burkett says the company is also looking at opportunities in Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. "We run into a lot of folks that back in '02 or '03 signed a three or a five year contract for a large circuit, their dialup customers have dwindled, and they get upside down," Burkett says. "And we're able to come in and make them an offer. For a lot of them, their ISP is the side business, anyway, for their computer store or whatever it may be, and they're ready to pass it on. We're actively pursuing those types of companies."

In addition to dialup, Burkett notes, Socket is now also wholesaling DSL access in Missouri. "That's a very new program," he says. "We've got some really pleased customers that have been with us a while wholesaling dialup, and they're able to turn around and start offering their customers DSL too, which rounds out their product offering."

Looking ahead
Rosskopf says interest in wholesale DSL access is growing fast—she says the coverage offered by Socket's wholesale DSL network (about 400 cities) is already even larger than its wholesale dialup offering. "We're definitely focusing on growing it this next year as well," she says.

Still, Burkett notes that, in Missouri at least, dialup is far from dead—in the first quarter of 2007, Socket has opened up about 70 new dialup markets. "There's still a lot of folks that use the Internet to check their e-mail and that's just about it," he says. "And dialup is sufficient for them."

Ultimately, Rosskopf what really makes Socket stand out in the wholesale marketplace is the depth of its coverage in one particular state, over both dialup and DSL. "Building the strongest network in Missouri, the largest network in Missouri, is a big focus for us," she says. "And our customers see that as an advantage to partner with us."

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Online resources:
	Wholesale Dialup Directory
	Wholesale Dialup Quick Reference Chart