Lakeland Communications completes the acquisition of Siren Telephone Company

Lakeland Communications completes the acquisition of Siren Telephone Company.

“This is a dynamic time in broadband deployment, as service areas change and investment opportunities emerge. Lakeland is pleased that the acquisition of Siren Telephone Company as a peer community-based provider is complete and beneficial to keep it locally owned and operated by Lakeland Communications.  Siren Telephone is essentially contiguous to our existing service area to enable prudent and proficient scope and scale while adding robust route and network diversity for customers”.

“Lakeland leadership believes this acquisition is a good opportunity to improve on the value proposition via scope and scale for our shareholders and our customers alike” commented John Klatt, Lakeland Communications President.

Lakeland Communications GM Alec Mortel went on to add, “For the past three decades, we have been hard at work, evolving from a telephone company into a first-in-class broadband provider by expanding our network footprint and enhancing our products and services to rural Northwest Wisconsin.  I can’t emphasize enough how resilient this company and our team have been throughout many evolutions of communications service.  To us, this is a logical next chapter in Lakeland Communications’ 118-year history”.

Mortel added  “One change customers should be aware of is the name of Siren Telephone Company will be changing to Lakeland Communications.  Name changes by a communications service provider require regulatory approval and we look forward to pursuing that change for consumer clarity.  Although the name of the company is unchanged for the time being, we are actively pursuing and working on various projects to improve the business economy of scale and execute on those initiatives for all stakeholders”.

Mortel emphasized that Siren Telephone’s staff will remain “As part of the acquisition, we are also pleased to inherit the talented staff of Siren Telephone, and look forward to merging them into our existing staff and operations.  He also noted that Burnett County may see some new faces and vehicles around. “We look forward to being involved in the community and building relationships in Burnett County”.

In closing comments, Mortel wanted to recognize and thank the former ownership of Siren Telephone for the trust they have placed in Lakeland Communications as the company has officially moved under Lakeland’s control. “The Company will be in good hands”.