Block Communications, which owns MaxxSouth Broadband and Buckeye Broadband, has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Ripley Video Cable, a cable and broadband services provider in north-central Mississippi. The transaction is expected to close during the last quarter of 2017, upon regulatory approvals.
Ripley Video Cable provides cable TV, high-speed Internet and digital voice services to residential and commercial customers in the towns of Ripley, Blue Mountain, Falkner and Pine Grove, all within Tippah County, MS.
Allan Block, chairman of Block Communications said: "We are a family-owned company operating in the cable business since 1965, and so we well recognize the hard work Leon and Diane Bailey, owners of Ripley Video Cable, have done over the years to provide excellent, local customer service. The Baileys' unparalleled contribution to the cable TV and broadband industry within Mississippi will live on through our MaxxSouth operation because we share a common vision: To be good corporate citizens by giving back to our communities in ways that enhance their quality of life."
Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband president and CEO, said: "MaxxSouth will continue Ripley Video Cable's tradition of outstanding, local customer service and community support, which made the company a staple in the towns they serve. I am honored to welcome Ripley Video Cable to our MaxxSouth family. Their almost 50-year history as a local business and their dedication to improving the lives of the people in the Mississippi communities they serve is what makes Ripley Video Cable such a perfect fit for us."
Kahelin and his team in Mississippi have led MaxxSouth since 2014. In the nearly three years MaxxSouth has operated in Mississippi and Alabama, it has upgraded its physical plant to provide higher and more reliable Internet speeds via FTTH and DOCSIS 3.1 deployments, expanded its video offerings, and improved its retail stores. Block, through MaxxSouth, plans to upgrade Ripley's network and offer a wider selection of video channels, faster Internet and a suite of business services.
"My wife Diane and I are confident that Block Communications, through its MaxxSouth Broadband leadership, will serve our communities with a strong commitment to excellence and will carry on our customer-oriented philosophy," said Leon Bailey, Jr., of Ripley Video Cable. "We are proud to pass the torch on to another family-owned company that enjoys a long, successful history in the telecommunications industry."