Birch Closes Acquisition of Lightyear Network Solutions Assets

ATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Birch Communications, a leading IP-based communications and cloud services provider to small- and medium-sized businesses, announced today that it closed the previously announced asset purchase agreement to acquire select customer and network assets from Lightyear Network Solutions, Inc. ("Lightyear"). This transaction marks the close of the 18^th acquisition for Birch.

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"This acquisition strengthens the breadth and scope of the Birch IP-Network.  The addition of these assets, which are natural extensions to our current Birch products and services, greatly enhance our Hosted PBX, SIP trunking, VoIP-based services and Carrier Services (wholesale) product offerings," said Vincent M. Oddo, Birch president and CEO.  "In addition, the new Kentucky markets, now added to our network footprint, have expanded our growing Birch IP-Network to 11 states.  Birch now provides service to customers in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Puerto Rico."

"We look forward with great enthusiasm to welcoming former Lightyear customers, employees and dealers into our Birch family and introducing them to our award-winning customer care team, as well as our expanding portfolio of IP-based services," said Chris Aversano, Birch chief operating officer. "We are also excited to introduce the former Lightyear customers to our expanded portfolio of leading-edge IP-based services. In the months and years to come, we plan to continue the expansion of our service footprint, and the scope of the products and services we offer to stay ahead of the needs of our business customers."

About Birch Communications

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Birch Communications provides IP-based communications and cloud services to small and medium-sized businesses in select metropolitan areas across the United States.  Birch services include: local and long distance voice, broadband Internet access, T1, PRI, bonded T1, PRI & DSL, SIP trunking, hosted PBX, wireless voice and data, hosted e-mail & applications, voicemail, and many other communications and cloud services.  Birch voice and broadband services are, in most cases, delivered using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology on the Company's secure IP-Network rather than over the public Internet. 

According to Inc. 500|5000 magazine in its 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2004 rankings, Birch is one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.  In 2010, Birch was also named the 7th fastest growing private business in Atlanta, and in 2011 as one of the Top 100 Private Companies in Atlanta, by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.  Please visit www.birch.com for more information.

SOURCE Birch Communications