Windstream to shutter Virtual Business Exchange in four states

Windstream has asked the FCC for permission to shut down its Virtual Business Exchange (VBX) services in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wisconsin, signaling its ongoing movement to IP-based services.

The service provider gained VBX service via its Norlight subsidiary, which it purchased as part of its its acquisition of Q-Comm in 2010. That acquisition included not only CLEC Norlight Telecom, but also wholesale/retail fiber provider Kentucky Data Link (KDL) for about $782 million.

Shutting down this service makes sense as only 57 customers were using the VBX service. Set to be discontinued at the end of March, the service ran over a hosted VoIP platform that it plans decommission.

Windstream said in a FCC filing that it will assist "affected customers in migrating their services to Windstream's supported platform or upgrade to one of our more robust unified communications products."

It said that current VBX customers won't be affected by the switch since they "are being provided ample notice of the discontinuance and are being offered alternative services to the ones being discontinued."

Additionally, customers in these regions also can purchase similar services from other competitive providers or ILECs.  

For more:
- see this FCC filing (PDF)

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