Published 12:00 am Sunday, June 30, 2019
SALISBURY — Hotwire Communications has begun offering
income-based fast-speed internet bundles to Salisbury residents and
will open a downtown store.
These moves come as Hotwire is “reaching out to those who are
still on the fence,” said Michael Grandizio, Hotwire’s general
manager.
About April, the company began offering new bundles to
low-income residents looking for a fast, reliable internet
connection, said Katelin Rice, Hotwire’s community development
manager. The income-based offer will start at $14.99 at for
50-megabit-per-second speed for city residents, Rice said.
“Everything is technology-based now,” she said. “Without good
internet, kids can’t do their homework; they can’t research
for projects.”
The internet is used for much more than just streaming and
gaming, Rice said.
“For us, it is so important that everyone has access,” she
said.
However, Rice said the $14.99 rate will not be offered to all
customers.
“Subscribers must qualify for these rates,” Grandizio said.
Rice said anyone interested should speak with a sales
specialist for specifics.
Still, the goal is to help bridge the “digital divide,” she
said.
“Hotwire has been offering this service since April, and many
have already subscribed and are enjoying our services,” Grandizio
said.
The new storefront — located at 114 S. Main St. — will be
equally important in making sure Hotwire can reach those on the
fence about subscribing to the local service. By locating the
storefront downtown, Rice said the company is aiming to maintain a
“sense of localized service” that was there with Fibrant.
In 2018, city voters in a referendum approved turning over
management of the municipal-owned Fibrant service to Hotwire.
Hotwire’s downtown location will be a place for
customers to try out and learn how to use products.
Customers will be able to sit in a demo area that will offer
hands-on experience using the new products such as “voice remotes,”
Rice said.
“It is a more face-to-face individualized experience,” she
said. “You walk right in.”
“All of this has really come from a lot of feedback that we have
gotten,” Rice said.
“One of the greatest things about Fibrant was it was local,”
Rice said. A lot of residents felt they might lose that with
Hotwire coming in, she said.
Hotwire is here to serve with a sole focus on the Salisbury
community, Rice said.
“Downtown is where everything happens,” Rice continued.
“Salisbury is such a close community.”
Grandizio agreed that Hotwire’s focus is local.
“Over the last six months or so, I have had the great
opportunity to meet with and listen to all results of those
conversations and our commitment to our customers and the community
in general,” Grandizio said. “The customer support center,
education sessions, bundles … are best priced with a face-to-face,
personal approach to customer service.”
The downtown location is expected to open within the month, Rice
said. A store at 1415 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. will remain
open as well.
For more information,
visit http://salisbury.fision.com.
Contact reporter Samuel Motley at
704-797-4264.
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 1:23 p.m. July 1
to state that Hotwire will offer a 50-megabit-per-second speed as
part of the new bundle. The article previously used an incorrect
unit of measure. We apologize for the error.
