Great Basin Internet acquires telecom, broadband provider

Great Basin Internet Services Inc. of Reno acquired WPTI Telecom, LLC, and WPTI Broadband, LLC, a provider of Internet services in the Douglas County region.

Financial details were not disclosed.

The deal will solidify Great Basin Internet Services' position as the largest independent Internet service provider in Nevada, says David Zybert, marketing manager.

And it brings Great Basin Internet status as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC), allowing it to offer phone service.

"That CLEC connection also allows us to compete more effectively in the area against the big guys," says Bruce Robertson, Great Basin's president.

Telecommunications carriers have been required to provide capacity to independent Internet providers, but Robertson says those rules have been whittled down in recent years, and Great Basin wants to bypass major carriers entirely.

Minden-based WPTI Telecom now operates as a subsidiary of Great Basin Internet and its current service will continue uninterrupted.

Andrew Wolf, operations manager at Great Basin, says, "We will be taking over the WPTI customer support functions, such as technical and billing support."

WPTI principals assumed positions with Great Basin Internet. President and founder Tony Prestigiacomo is now vice president and will manage WPTI Telecom as well as overall product sales in the Douglas County region. Vice President of Operations Erich Stick is now network manager. Vice President of Research & Development Bruce Komito is a consultant for the telecom operations.

Great Basin Internet Services was established in Reno in 1993, while WPTI Telecom LLC was founded in 1997.

"At the residential level, Internet is a commodity," says Robertson. "But we'll never have the marketing budget to blanket the area like the big players do. Our real opportunity is in the business sector, where we can provide better service. Faster turnaround is always the strength of the small company."