MOORESVILLE – Mooresville’s Town Board on Monday voted 4-2 in favor of revising the way Mooresville and Davidson share ownership and expenses from MI-Connection Communications System, the local high-speed communications network they jointly own. Davidson’s Town Board is expected to vote on the proposed revisions Tuesday night. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The town boards of Mooresville and Davidson this week will take up critical revisions to the agreement that governs their jointly owned communications network, MI-Connection. Mooresville’s board on Monday and Davidson’s board on Tuesday will vote on changes that would adjust the towns’ ownership shares and limit Davidson’s financial pain while the system keeps losing money. The new agreement also would limit Davidson’s gains later, if the system turns profitable, and give Mooresville a chance at bigger payoffs. Read the full story

Chart shows MI-Connection budget trends. The 2012 budget is to be restated lower at Thursday's board meeting, resulting in an increase in the towns' subsidies. Click to download a copy of the proposed 2013 budget. (SOURCE: MI-Connection financial statements, interviews with company officials)

MI-Connection Communications System plans to re-state its budget for the fiscal year ending June 30 to account for lower-than-expected income that company officials are blaming on delays in the takeover of key business functions from an outside operator. The system’s chief executive said Tuesday the shortfall means MI-Connection will have to ask its owners, the towns of Davidson and Mooresville, for an additional $1.1 million to balance its budget this fiscal year. Read the full story

Chart shows growth in internet usage from different uses. VoIP, which is not really visible, refers to "voice over IP," or telephone service delivered over an internet connection. (SOURCE: Cicsco Systems Visual Networking Index)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Internet traffic is exploding in the U.S. and around the world, thanks to growth in video, gaming and other data-heavy online uses. That’s a positive trend for anyone in the internet business. But it also means internet providers have to keep up with the ever-growing demand for capacity.

That trend is behind MI-Connection Communications System’s recent decision to upgrade technology for about 63 percent of its Internet and data customers, executives told the system board last week. The upgrade quadruples the capacity of network connections for 6,400 customers in Davidson and Cornelius and eventually could allow the company to offer cheaper high-speed connections for businesses and residential customers, the system’s CEO said. Read the full story

David Auger (left) is the new CEO of MI-Connection. John Venzon is chairman of the system owned by Davidson and Mooresville. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

MOORESVILLE – Directors of the MI-Connection Communications System on Tuesday appointed telecommunications consultant and former Time Warner Cable executive David Auger as the first local CEO of the cable and internet network. His appointment comes as the towns of Mooresville and Davidson prepare to take over day-to-day operation of the the system, which they have owned since 2007.

At a special board meeting Tuesday at MI-Connection headquarters in Mooresville, the board also approved a new contract with Bristol Virginia Utilities (BVU), which has run the system for the towns – until now.

Under the new 3-year deal, the towns will take over management of the system – from marketing to finance to Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – MI-Connection Communications System and Bristol Virginia Utilities (BVU) have agreed on a revised operating contract that will transfer main responsibility for running the system to MI-Connection as of Dec. 1. The MI-Connection board of directors has scheduled a special meeting this Tuesday, Nov. 22, in Mooresville to approve the new deal. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Revenues at MI-Connection Communications System fell slightly during the first quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, but operating profits were up sharply, thanks in part to lower expenses and net gains in subscribers in all three of its business lines – internet, telephone and TV. Read the full story

MI-Connection reported growth in all three of its business lines in the 1st quarter of FY12. Graph levels show the number of customers gained in the first three months of the year. Percentages represent the change in the number of new customers in the first quarter compared to the number of new customers a year earlier. (SOURCE: MI-Connection)

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

MI-Connection added customers in all three of its businesses during the first quarter of the fiscal year – internet, telephone and even cable TV, where the company has been losing customers. Officials attributed the growth to “basic blocking and tackling” on sales and customer service, as well as fewer customer losses.

MI-Connection officials also said at their monthly board meeting Thursday that  negotiations to take over more of the system’s operations from outside operator Bristol Virginia Utilities (BVU) are likely to be completed by early November. The towns of Mooresville and Davidson, which own the system, had previously hoped to take over most functions by July 1. Read the full story