Northland Communications is proud to be a third generation family-owned business that has serviced the Central New York region with telecommunication services for over 110 years. This longevity has allowed Northland to gain invaluable experience, financial stability and significant resources. Our emphasis on customer service, team members and the surrounding community is a result of the family atmosphere Northland possesses.
These values are what helped transform what once was the Oneida County Telephone Company, founded in Holland Patent, NY in 1905, into what Northland is today. Our timeline details important dates and changes throughout Northland’s history.
In 1982, Northland Communications first emerged as a discount long-distance provider after seizing opportunities following the dispossession of AT&T and break-up of the Bell System. The telecommunications industry now welcomed competition and continued to create opportunities for regional companies.
It wasn’t until 1996 with the passing of the Telecommunications Act, Northland Networks was established. Primarily focusing on the Utica & Syracuse markets, Northland Networks became a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) and began providing local dial tone services.
In November 1995, Northland acquired controlling interest in Dreamscape Online, which provided dial-up Internet access to thousands of upstate New York users. As the Internet world has evolved, Dreamscape’s current focus is providing dedicated bandwidth, email and hosting services to the Central New York business community.
Northland acquired Gaffney Communications in May 2001, expanding our voice and data solutions to include the Nortel product line.
In 2006 Northland began building its fiber optic network to serve the ever-growing bandwidth needs of the CNY business community. Today that network is over 500 miles in length, spans from Herkimer to Syracuse and is built into over 1000 unique building locations.
In an effort to further develop an end-to-end, single-company telecommunications solution, all business units, with the exception of Oneida County Telephone, standardized under Northland Communications from a marketing perspective in March of 2006.
While the telecommunications world is constantly changing rapidly, there is one thing that has remained the same: Northland’s dedication to our customers and providing them with the best end to end solutions through our cutting edge technology. Recognized three times as one of the Best Companies to Work for Program in NYS by SHRM, our team is highly engaged and committed to excellence.