Press

Kids Empowered, Communities Engaged Through Vyve Christmas Card Art Contest

“It really just makes everyone in our company, and our communities feel good”

Imagine what a kid feels like when he sees artwork he created featured in his hometown paper. Or online, or retweeted, or on Facebook, or showcased on any other social media platform. Now think how his parents feel, his grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers, preachers, coaches, and on and on.

That is the real beauty of Vyve’s Christmas Card Art Contest that is in the middle of its’ second year of offering kids 3-12 years old in all Vyve markets, the opportunity to design the company’s Christmas card.

The Beacon Award winning community relations campaign is far and away the best, and certainly most popular brand integration initiative in company history, but it’s much more than that.

“Certainly from an integrated branding perspective it has been hugely successful,” said Vyve SVP Marketing and Customer Experience Dianne Quennoz, who created the campaign. “But beyond that, as the campaign grew organically from company-to-community and back, it really showed how much we are a part of our communities, and how much we care about our communities. “It really just made everyone in our company, and our communities feel good.”

The contest is simple. Kids 3-12 years old who live in a Vyve market are eligible to design a card of original art, that best exemplifies “The Spirit of Christmas” to them. It is heavily promoted to schools, churches, libraries, chambers of commerce and Mayor’s offices through Vyve public relations, community relations, social media, digital media and online channels.

The 12 finalists are displayed on the website in the 12 days of Christmas Cards, and the eventual winner receives an iPad Mini, has their design featured on the official 2016 Vyve Christmas card sent to over 200,000 households and thousands more via online and social platforms, and receives a Cookies & Cocoa party and $200 of art supplies for their school.

“We were very touched by the overwhelming response to last year’s contest from every community we serve” added Quennoz,. It’s wonderful to see that the Christmas spirit is truly alive throughout our Vyve communities.”

VYVE BROADBAND ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF DIGITAL TV AND INTERNET SPEED UPGRADES IN WAGONER, OKLAHOMA

System Improvements Provide Customers with a Vastly Improved Online Experience for Better Gaming, Faster Streaming Content and Superior Social Media Experiences

Vyve Broadband announced today that it has completed network upgrades in Wagoner, Oklahoma that include converting all customers from analog to All-Digital, HighDefinition (HD) TV service, increasing available Internet speeds to 25, 50 and 105 Mbps, and launching unlimited nationwide phone service. The digital conversion will deliver higher picture quality and more than 150 HD channels, and Vyve’s enhanced broadband network will provide customers with the fastest Internet speeds available in these areas – enabling customers to experience better gaming, faster streaming content and superior social media experiences.

Current Vyve customers in Wagoner will receive the Internet speed upgrade to 25 Mbps for free.

The speed increases in Wagoner are important milestones in Vyve’s plan to provide cutting-edge broadband speeds in rural markets that have traditionally lagged behind in technology offerings. These increases will more than double the average speed of existing customers and provide a quantum improvement to the availability of broadband in these areas.

“Vyve is laser-focused on creating unrivaled broadband experiences in markets such as Wagoner that are largely ignored by our competitors,” said Ken Jameson, Vyve Broadband’s system manager in NE Oklahoma. “With a Vyve Broadband connection, our customers will have access to lightning-fast broadband services, and we’re thrilled to be raising speeds for our existing customers for free. Offering
faster speeds for free reflects Vyve’s commitment to being the leading technology provider in markets where we operate across Oklahoma.”

Increased Internet speeds will allow customers in Wagoner to more quickly and easily enjoy Vyve Broadband’s WatchTVEverywhereTM application, which gives video customers the ability to watch their favorite shows from participating channels anytime, anywhere and on any device. As a result of the upgrade to digital TV, customers with standard Vyve TV packages will now be able to access the new
Vyve HD Guide Experience, Powered by TiVo®, which helps users find the exact programming they want, quickly and easily.

Customers interested in additional information regarding Vyve Broadband are encouraged to visit VyveBroadband.com.

Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful And Artistic To Vyve’s Second Annual Christmas Card Art Contest

Kids 3-12 Your Artwork Could Be Vyve’s Hallmark Christmas Card This Year

‘Tis the season to get your Christmas creative on as the 2nd Annual Vyve “Create Our Christmas Card Art Contest” is jingle-belling into town.

The contest is easy and fun. All you have to do is create an original piece of artwork showing what the “Spirit of Christmas” means to you, and submit it to Vyve.

The winning entrant will win an iPad Mini, and have their design featured on the official 2016 Vyve Christmas card, produced by Hallmark Business Connections and sent to over 200,000 households, and thousands more across Vyve’s online and social media platforms.

And for art teachers out there, the winning entry wins a Cookies & Cocoa party for your school, plus $200 in art supplies.

“This is the most exciting and rewarding community campaign we’ve ever done,” said Vyve Broadband Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience, Diane Quennoz. “We were very touched by the overwhelming response to last year’s contest from every community we serve. It’s wonderful to see that the Christmas spirit is truly alive throughout our Vyve communities.”

The contest is open to residents of Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming located in Vyve’s service area. Entrants must be between 3-12- years old at the time of entering the contest.

The Official Entry Forms and Official Rules are available at participating schools and Vyve retail offices, from Vyve technicians or on the Vyve website at: www.vyvebroadband.com/cardcontest. Entries will be judged by a panel of artists at Vyves’s advertising agency.

So pull your elf’s cap on, grab your colored pencils and markers and let your “Christmas Spirit” color your canvas – it’ll be a holly jolly Christmas this year!

Vyve Broadband Is the Official Communications Provider For 10th Annual Owlfest

Vyve Providing Free WiFi, Free All-Digital HD TV For Razorbacks Game, Free Phone Service, Plus Contests and Activities All Weekend

Vyve Broadband is celebrating Owlfest with all of McGehee in a big way as a Platinum Sponsor this weekend.

As a Platinum Sponsor, and the Official Communications Provider of Owlfest, Vyve will be providing its full compliment of services FREE throughout the event. FREE WiFi will be available for all Owlfest attendees all day long. Vyve will broadcast the Arkansas-Ole Miss game in All-Digital HD, and you can make FREE nationwide phone calls at the Vyve booth throughout the day in case your cell battery is running low.

While at the booth, enter to win one of 10 fabulous Owlfest prizes. Vyve is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Owlfest with 10 prizes to be announced at Vyve O’clock each hour by Mayor Owyoung. Stop by the booth and enter to win a Kindle, iPad and Apple Watch among
others.

Vyve knows the celebrating starts long before Saturday. As a season-long sponsor of Owl football, Vyve will kickoff the activities during the Homecoming game against Fouke Friday night. Friday Night Vyve will include a halftime field goal kicking contest for prizes, featuring three lucky fans selected at the Pep Rally, cheerleaders throwing mini footballs into the stands throughout the game, and of course the Vyve Defensive Player of the Game award.

“We are honored and excited to be a part of the McGehee community and proud to be a Platinum Sponsor and Official Communications Provider of the 10th Annual Owlfest,” said Vyve Broadband CEO Jeffrey S. DeMond. “We are very committed to the communities we serve and are always looking for ways to partner with those communities for all their communications needs.”

As McGehee celebrates Owlfest, Vyve celebrates McGehee with a 10th Anniversary party for the ages, and the fastest Internet, the best voice, and All-Digital HD TV in the market.

Owlfest and Vyve – You’d be wise to check them out.

› Download Press Release (PDF)

Vyve Broadband Announces Launch of 1 Gigabit-per-second Broadband Service in Ketchum and Monkey Island, Oklahoma

‘Vyve Gig’ affirms Company’s Commitment to Broadband Adoption in Rural Markets

Vyve Broadband’s mission is to provide rural communities with world-class broadband Internet service that levels the playing field. Today, Vyve has taken the next step in that mission with the launch of 1 Gigabit-per-second Internet service to customers in Ketchum and Monkey Island, Oklahoma.

The local Vyve team recently completed successful testing of 1 Gig service, and it is now available to local residents and businesses. The boost to 1 Gig service increases our fastest Internet speeds by more than nine times.

“We are excited to add Ketchum and Monkey Island, Oklahoma to our growing list of 1 Gig markets,” said Jeffrey DeMond, chief executive officer for Vyve Broadband. “’Vyve Gig’ will be a key product for certain business and residential customers who have unique needs, such as people who work from home or those using graphics-heavy gaming and visual design software. These folks will have all the bandwidth they need and more.”

As online speed demand continues to increase year over year, ‘Vyve Gig’ will provide users the ability to keep pace. Residents with multiple connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming systems will be able to run their devices concurrently without interruption.

“While we recognize that 1 Gig is probably more speed than most customers need at this moment, it’s clear that the online technology, information and entertainment landscape is evolving on an almost daily basis. What’s incredibly fast today will be the norm tomorrow,” DeMond says. “Vyve wants to build the network now that our customers will want and demand in the future. We’re committed to long-term relationships with our customers, and part of that commitment is looking not only at their current needs, but what their needs will be several years down the road.”

Vyve encourages customers who are interested in ‘Vyve Gig’ service to call 1-855-FORVYVE.

Vyve Broadband Announces Launch of 500 Megabit-per-second Broadband Service in Shawnee, Oklahoma

‘Vyve 500’ affirms Company’s Commitment to Broadband Adoption in Rural Markets

Vyve Broadband’s mission is to provide rural communities with world-class broadband Internet service that levels the playing field. Today, Vyve has taken the next step in that mission with the launch of 500 Megabit-persecond Internet service to customers in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

The local Vyve team recently completed successful testing of 500 Meg service, and it is now available to local residents and businesses. The boost to 500 Meg service increases our fastest Internet speeds nearly five times. Residents with multiple connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming systems will be able to run their devices concurrently without interruption.

“We are excited to add Shawnee, Oklahoma to our growing list of 500 Meg markets,” said Jeffrey DeMond, chief executive officer for Vyve Broadband. ’Vyve 500’ will be a key product for certain business and residential customers who have unique needs, such as people who work from home or those using graphics-heavy gaming and visual design software. These folks will have all the speed and bandwidth they need and more.”

“It’s clear that the online technology, information and entertainment landscape is evolving on an almost daily basis. What’s incredibly fast today will be the norm tomorrow,” DeMond says. “Vyve is building the network now that our customers will want and demand in the
future. We’re committed to long-term relationships with our customers, and part of that commitment is looking not only at their current needs, but what their needs will be several years down the road.”

This upgraded service represents another milestone in the ongoing drive by Vyve to provide cutting-edge broadband speeds in rural markets that have traditionally lagged behind in technology offerings. Vyve investments in Oklahoma since the company launched in late 2013 have more than doubled the average speed for existing customers. Vyve is already offering ‘Vyve Gig’ (1,000 Megabits) in select markets and is currently testing in Shawnee now.

Customers who are interested in ‘Vyve 500’ service to call 1-855-FOR-VYVE.

Guymon Celebrates New Vyve High-Speed Internet, Digital High-Definition Television During Fiesta Day

Vyve Brings Next-Generation Broadband Services To Oklahoma Panhandle – And Fun, Games And Giveaways To Annual Fiesta Day Celebration

Vyve Broadband is celebrating both the rollout of its high-speed Internet and digital high-definition television services to Guymon as the city
celebrates Fiesta Day on Sunday, September 18 in downtown Guymon.

It will be a party within a party at the Vyve booth, featuring maraca and sombrero giveaways, a raffle for prizes and a piñata with a “golden egg” for the traditional Fiesta Day piñata pummeling, among many other activities. Vyve is celebrating its Guymon launch as a Gold Sponsor of Fiesta Day, and with “Next Day” installation throughout the week.

“Vyve is about enhancing the quality of life for the people in our markets,” said Vyve Broadband CEO Jeffrey S. DeMond. “Whether that’s through sponsoring local events like Fiesta Day where Vyve is proud to be a Gold Sponsor, providing Internet to schools and hospitals, or providing world-class high-speed Internet and digital high-definition television options to each home, we are very committed to the communities we serve.”

Fiesta Day provides a perfect backdrop for the Vyve Broadband launch of services including Internet with speeds up to 105Mbps and HDTV with hundreds of channels and no unsightly dish.

High-speed Internet includes speeds from 25Mbps up to 105Mbps so customers can download movies, stream shows, be overly active on social media, and game without slowing down, even in homes with multiple devices and users.

Vyve’s digital high-definition television service includes local channels and provides customers channel options like: football action on SEC Network, Longhorn Network, NFL Network, NFL Redzone and more; movie channels MGM Movie, Sony Movie and more; and premium networks like HBO, Showtime, and Starz. The streaming commercial-free music service Stingray Music and WatchTVEverywhere, which allows streaming on the go of over 80 networks (depending on the level of service), are both included with the purchase of Vyve’s television service.

Fiesta Day is a day for all of Guymon to celebrate. And as Vyve celebrates with all of Guyman, it also celebrates Guymon as its newest market for high-speed Internet and digital high-definition television. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Viva Fiesta Day! Viva Vyve!

Colorado Avalanche Fans Unite as Vyve Broadband Partners with Altitude Sports, HeadStrong Brewery to Host Viewing Party

Pizza, Prizes and an Avalanche Win Add Up to a Fan-Friendly Event

Colorado Avalanche fans in Douglas, Wyoming, were treated to a viewing party at HeadStrong Brewery on Monday, March 28, in an event hosted by Vyve Broadband and Altitude Sports network. A crowd of more than 70 people watched Monday’s game against the Nashville Predators with pizza and raffle prizes.

HeadStrong Brewery on N. Third St. in Douglas opened its doors at 5:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. puck drop. Friendz Pizzeria delivered 23 pizzas to feed the frenzied fans. Throughout the night, prizes were raffled off including signed gear, hockey sticks, game tickets, and Vyve swag including a barbeque set.

“We’re so happy to have been a part of this and we’re really pleased that everyone in attendance had a great time,” said Joe Shanks, local system manager Vyve, who helped organize the event. “The community had a lot of fun and supported great local establishments at the same time. Plus, the Avs won, making this a win-win-win scenario.”

The Avalanche pulled off a 4-3 victory, giving the fans in attendance a big reason to cheer and keeping their hopes for a playoff bid alive.

John Hunt, owner of HeadStrong, recently switched to Vyve Broadband for Internet and TV service and built a strong relationship with Vyve’s local team in Douglas.

“Fact of the matter is we have local people here with local service that take care of us and that’s what counts to me,” said Hunt. “You call Vyve and you get a guy who’s in town, he’s local. I know he’s busy but he gets here.”

Mike Wilson, a local owner of the Sleep Inn and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites who attended the viewing party, has been impressed with Vyve’s commitment to customer service and the Douglas community.

“All of the people that I have worked with at Vyve have really, really been helpful and personable,” Wilson said. “If we have problems over here at the hotel, it’s like they put you at the top of the list and we get great service, which means a lot, especially when you’ve got a hotel to run. It helps us when we can get problems remedied as soon as possible.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Jersey Winner: Colorado Avalanche fan Ramon Starks poses with a jersey he won as a raffle prize during a viewing party on Monday, March 28, at HeadStrong Brewery in Douglas, Wyoming. Vyve Broadband partnered with Altitude Sports to host the event with HeadStrong.

Stick Winner: Brent Saliga, left, poses with Mike Wilson after winning a hockey stick as a raffle prize during a viewing party on Monday, March 28, at HeadStrong Brewery in Douglas, Wyoming

Vyve Broadband Customers Receive Major Boost with Completion of 400-mile Fiber-Optic Ring in Oklahoma

Ring Improves Speed, Service Immediately and has Room to Grow with Demand

Vyve Broadband has completed its buildout of a 400- mile fiber ring around central and eastern Oklahoma. The ring, which spans 40 communities from Shawnee to Tulsa to Ft. Gibson to McAlester and back to Shawnee, allows Vyve to provide a fully redundant, world-class network for residential and business customers. Vyve has built 48 fibers into its ring, which will provide significant capacity for growth even as demand for bandwidth continues to increase. The ring buildout is the culmination of a $200 million investment to bring world-class Internet service to all of Vyve’s rural communities.

“The completion of our fiber-optic ring in Oklahoma is a true game-changer for our customers in rural communities everywhere we do business,” Vyve Broadband CEO Jeffrey S. DeMond said. “This has been a goal of ours since day one — to provide our customers with not just the fastest speeds but also the stability, reliability and flexibility that having our own fiber-optic ring affords.”

The ring is redundant, meaning that if it is ever cut in a single location, there is no interruption of service. This represents a huge advantage for Vyve customers who previously relied on shared networks while the ring was being constructed. Today, only four of the 48 fibers are in use, delivering data and video content up to 80 gigabits per second (Gbps). The system has the ability to expand to several hundred Gbps on the same four fibers, and the ring as a whole has immense capacity to meet the needs of the market down the road as consumption continues to grow year after year.

“This puts us in a fantastic position to handle the expected explosion of broadband demand in the coming years,” DeMond said. “As our customers — both residential and commercial — require faster speeds and more data, we will be able to accommodate that through this newly completed ring. We’ve already begun successful testing of speeds up to 1 gigabit per second in some markets, which is well beyond the needs of most customers yet perfectly in line with where the industry is headed. Just as needs grow, so will our capability to meet them.”

Vyve’s Oklahoma ring spans roughly 400 miles and is made up of 48 separate fibers. It feeds seven main hubs, which then provide direct service to 34 other cities and towns and over 40 municipalities across the state. The Vyve ring is connected to a larger network that includes Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Atlanta. These feeds are also redundant “rings within a ring.“ The Oklahoma ring also feeds signal to Vyve customers in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Wyoming and Georgia.

Vyve Broadband Introducing 1 Gigabit-per-second Broadband Service to Ketchum, Monkey Island, Oklahoma

‘Vyve Gig’ affirms Company’s Commitment to Broadband Adoption in Rural Markets

Vyve Broadband has announced that it is taking the next step in broadband speed by offering 1 Gigabit-per-second Internet service to its customers in northeast Oklahoma. Recent successful testing of the Vyve Gig service has given Vyve the green light to begin offering it to its customers in Ketchum and Monkey Island, Oklahoma. Vyve Gig will be available to customers in those areas in the first quarter of 2016.

The boost to 1 Gig service will increase speeds more than nine times from the fastest offering available today.

“Customers in many of our markets are now enjoying speeds of up to 105 Mbps thanks to the upgrades we’ve made, enabling them to experience better gaming, faster streaming content and superior social media activity — and Vyve Gig service will enhance customers’ broadband access even further,” says Jeffrey DeMond, chief executive officer for Vyve Broadband. “Our Vyve Gig is key for certain business and residential clients who have unique needs, such as people who work from home or those using graphics-heavy gaming and visual design software. These folks will have all the bandwidth they need — and more.”

“While we recognize that 1 Gig is probably more speed than most customers need at this moment, but it’s clear that the online technology, information and entertainment landscape is evolving on an almost daily basis. What’s incredibly fast today will be the norm tomorrow,” DeMond says. “Vyve is committed to offering the most robust broadband service in our markets, and we’re committed to long-term relationships with our customers. Part of that commitment is looking not only at their current needs, but also what their needs will be several years down the road.”

This upgraded service represents another milestone in the ongoing drive by Vyve to provide cutting-edge broadband speeds in rural markets that have traditionally lagged behind in technology offerings. Vyve investments in Oklahoma since the company launched in late 2013 have more than doubled the average speed for existing customers. Vyve already offers the FCC benchmark speed of 25 Mbps to more than 70 percent of its market.

“This is a prime example of the free market creating opportunities for a business to grow and for customers to benefit,” DeMond says. “Vyve has completed these upgrades without the need for government intervention or handouts. Instead, we relied on the market’s growing demand for these products. With a level playing field, a private company is able to step in and fill that demand.”

Vyve encourages customers who are interested in Vyve Gig service to call 1-855-FOR-VYVE.